The traditional beauty of the Luu family

(Baonghean) - The Luu family is one of the largest families in Thanh Tuong commune (Thanh Chuong district). Having settled and developed for hundreds of years, generations of the Luu family have forged many glorious traditions. Among them, the most prominent is the principle of "drinking water, remembering the source," and the tradition of gratitude…

According to the "Lưu Clan Genealogy," the Lưu clan in Thanh Tường originated from Vạn Cồn, Hà Khê, Hưng Nguyên district. Counting from the year Canh Tý (1719) when their ancestor Lưu Văn Tôn settled in Dinh Chu village, nearly 300 years have passed, spanning 11 generations and comprising 925 households. The Lưu clan's main ancestral temple, established during the time of the founding ancestor, was upgraded and extensively rebuilt during the reign of King Thành Thái. Despite numerous renovations, its original architecture (including the main hall, worship hall, left wing, and right wing) remains intact. Inside, there are many large calligraphic inscriptions, couplets, and ancient ritual objects (altars, incense burners, inlaid wood, plaques, swords, daggers, etc.). During the resistance war, the Lưu clan temple served as the workplace of the Resistance Committee and the administrative center of Đại Đồng commune; it was also used to store and conceal weapons, medicine, and as a military base.

A ceremony honoring fallen soldiers was held at the ancestral burial ground of the Luu family (Thanh Tuong commune, Thanh Chuong district).

The founder of the family's tradition of academic excellence was Mr. Luu Si Chuong (1884 - 1930), known for his intelligence from a young age. He passed the Bachelor's examination in 1915 and was appointed by the Hue court to the position of Inspector of the Imperial Household, a third-class official. After his death, he was posthumously awarded the title of "Han Lam Vien Kien Thao" by the feudal state. Today, continuing the tradition of the late scholar, "The blessings of our ancestors follow us - The great scholarly descendants advance from the present day," the descendants of the Luu family are still diligent in their studies and achieve academic success. Currently, the family has 10 master's degree holders, hundreds of university graduates, one outstanding teacher, one outstanding artist, and many high-ranking officers in the armed forces. Since 2000, they have established a scholarship committee and built a scholarship fund. Every year, on the ancestral worship day (January 18th), they organize an awards ceremony for students who have passed university and college entrance exams and outstanding students at all levels.

The descendants of the Liu family, whether settled in their hometown or working and establishing themselves far away, have always lived in unity, harmony, and mutual support, always remaining devoted to their ancestral land. During years of economic hardship, they established a fund providing over 2 tons of rice to help families within the clan who were in particularly difficult circumstances. Today, this spirit of mutual support and compassion is being upheld by the descendants in various forms. They meticulously organize and care for family events such as birthdays and weddings. They promptly visit families experiencing illness, disease, or misfortune. Weddings and funerals are conducted according to cultural traditions.

In particular, the descendants of the Luu clan have actively participated in and supported revolutionary movements. The clan includes 3 Party members active during the 1930-1931 period, 1 pre-revolution cadre, and 3 Heroic Vietnamese Mothers (Tran Thi The, Nguyen Thi Dong, and Nguyen Thi Buong). Throughout the two wars of resistance against France and the United States, hundreds of their descendants enlisted in the army to fight the enemy; 17 martyrs bravely sacrificed their lives for the cause of national defense and international missions in Laos and Cambodia; many others were wounded or disabled soldiers. The "Gratitude and Repayment" tradition is maintained. The ancient inscription in the Luu clan's ancestral hall, with its four characters "Am - Ha - Tu - Nguyen," serves as a reminder to descendants to always uphold the tradition of "Drinking water, remembering the source." Since 1987, they have maintained a memorial plaque listing the martyrs of their lineage for worship and gratitude at the ancestral temple, embodying the spirit of "The nation acknowledges their sacrifice, the Lưu clan remembers them." In 1993, after renovating the ancestral tomb, they built a memorial stele, commemorating 17 Lưu family martyrs within the ancestral burial grounds. Since then, every year on July 27th, the Lưu family meticulously organizes a ceremony to honor the martyrs; visiting and encouraging the families of wounded soldiers and martyrs within the clan. This act of gratitude has become a distinctive and beautiful tradition of the Lưu family for decades.

Huy Thu