Brighten the tradition of patriotism and humanity

(Baonghean) - These days, the good news that Choong Temple was ranked as a provincial historical relic on July 16, 2015 has spread throughout nine villages and ten Muongs, stirring the hearts of the people who are attached to and love a sacred mountainous region of Muong Choong, especially those who are passionate about preserving, conserving and restoring the tangible and intangible values ​​of the Choong Temple relic.

Choong Temple has long been a sacred place of spiritual and cultural convergence, a source of pride for the Thai ethnic group in the vast Northwest region of Nghe An. The Choong Temple relic (in Choong village, Chau Ly commune, Quy Hop) is a sacred place that preserves and remembers stories about patriotism and the spirit of solidarity and harmony between the highlands and lowlands throughout history.

Choong Temple on the inauguration day of phase 1. Photo: Cao Duy Thai

Muong Choong, in Thai, means a land of respect and hospitality. In the community's memory and in research documents about this land, the name Muong Choong was most likely given by the Lam Son insurgents to acknowledge the beauty of the hearts of the Thai people here for the insurgents during difficult times. In the 15th century, when the Lam Son insurgents retreated to Nghe An to build a base to build forces to repel the Ming invaders who invaded our country, the Muong Choong area was one of the dangerous areas where Le Loi's insurgents stopped. The mountains and forests and the hearts of the Muong Choong people were open to welcome the insurgents, and Muong Choong became one of the gathering places for the insurgents to recruit and train soldiers. People throughout the Muong Choong area actively provided food, products, and weapons for Le Loi's insurgents. A vivid proof is that today, on the land of Muong Choong, there are still a series of place names associated with many activities of the Lam Son insurgents during a heroic period of the country's history. They are Huoi Vang Co - located in Bang village (Chau Ly), meaning "flag-dropping stream", where the insurgents kept their battle flags; Pu Canh Ve - located in Lau village (Chau Ly), meaning "guard post", where the hill has a high point to observe and guard the food warehouse at Don Kho; Vang Mo Khung - located in Choong village, meaning "shooting mound", where the insurgents trained and practiced using weapons; Don Kho, Don Cho - located between Tham village and Choong village (Chau Ly), meaning "warehouse island", "market island", traces of the place where food was stored and stored and where the insurgents held a market with the locals; Tham Ong Hau - located between Bac Son and Chau Ly communes (Quy Hop), meaning "he came to the cave", a respectful way of calling the place where it is said that Le Loi hid and discussed military affairs, preparing for the battles of Tra Lan, Bo Ai, Kha Luu, the resounding victories in history. According to village elders and chiefs, many people have seen with their own eyes two "sacred objects": the bronze drum and the cauldron used to feed the army. Unfortunately, both have now been lost.

Muong Choong became a "sacred land" not only because of the place names and "sacred objects" that remain in memory, in history books and on the field, but also because of the legend of a character with a particularly important position, who can be considered a central character in the legends that remain here, that is the legendary - historical character Nang Phom Hom - "The girl with fragrant hair".

Before the sacred temple.

In the community memory passed down from generation to generation in Muong Choong, “The Fragrant Haired Girl” is the main person worshiped at Choong Temple. She was a Thai girl born into a poor family but had a beautiful personality and character. She possessed the fragrance, beauty, and purity of the precious flowers of the mountains and forests. Wherever she went, grass welcomed her and flowers greeted her. Her beauty captivated people and added to the splendor of the mountain scenery. What was special was that this girl’s hair always emitted a very pleasant natural fragrance. Therefore, the villagers called her Nang Phom Hom, meaning “The Fragrant Haired Girl”. The peaceful life of the villagers was suddenly submerged along with the fate of the country being enslaved and miserable. The brutal exploitation policies of the Wu invaders caused desolation and chaos everywhere. Nguyen Trai's "Great Proclamation of Victory over the Wu" recorded: "How cruel the bamboo of the Southern Mountain cannot record all the crimes/ How filthy the water of the Eastern Sea cannot wash away the smell". At this time, the beauty of the "Fragrant Haired Lady" became the desire of the cruel and tyrannical invaders, but with her intelligence, the "Fragrant Haired Lady" not only protected herself, but also helped many people escape into the deep forest.

During the years when Muong Choong village was in dire straits, the appearance of the patriotic insurgents from Lam Son mountains quickly received support and enthusiastic response from the villagers. The "fragrant-haired girl" was the one who actively mobilized people from deep forests and deserted mountains to join the insurgents, helping to establish the insurgents, gather forces, and stockpile food. Le Loi's insurgents were like fish in water, kites in the wind, gaining strength even in the midst of operating in the dangerous mountains and forests with countless hardships and shortages, so they had victories with the "bamboo-splitting" strategy.

Loving the loyalty of the insurgents and feeling deeply indebted to the land that had sheltered them during difficult times, "The Fragrant Haired Girl" and a talented Kinh general in the insurgents fell in love with each other and vowed to be together for a hundred years.

Rice grain - A mascot worshiped to commemorate the "Fragrant Hair Lady" who contributed food to feed the army. Photo: nk

One day in June, the sun was pouring honey, missing the general who was wandering on the battlefield, "The Fragrant Hair Girl" went to the stream to wait. While washing her hair, she absentmindedly dropped her comb, and while reaching for the water, she fell into the abyss (Vang Co Cu). When they heard that "The Fragrant Hair Girl" was missing, the general and his soldiers returned, mobilized elephants and horses, and together with the villagers searched for her day and night. The earth was dug up into a mountain but she was still not found, only strands of hair mixed with the water when picked up still had a fragrant scent. Missing her, the soldiers and villagers buried the strands of hair they had picked up in the mound of earth dug up during the search and built a temple for "The Fragrant Hair Girl" on that mound.

Statue of "The Fragrant Hair Lady".

“The Fragrant Haired Girl” is a character with a beautiful appearance representing the heart and merit of the Muong Choong people with Le Loi’s army, with the cause of protecting the country. The beautiful love in the wild mountains and forests is the embodiment of the love of harmony and solidarity of hundreds of families under the flag of patriotism, the desire to consolidate regions and areas to gather strength to rise up against the yoke of domination. Therefore, the temple of “The Fragrant Haired Girl” - Choong temple has become a “sacred realm”, a center of spiritual and cultural activities, a place for exchange and connection of solidarity and attachment between the people in the region and the upper Muong areas, the lower villages. Every year, the villagers organize worshiping “The Fragrant Haired Girl” and the gods they worship on the 15th and 1st of the lunar month, especially in the two main festivals: Dam Luc Ngoat (on the 15th and 16th of the 6th lunar month) and the New Year’s Eve (25th of the 12th lunar month).

In memory of the ancestors, with the spirit of "When drinking water, remember its source", on the old vestiges that remain, with the wishes of collectives, individuals, philanthropists, and businesses in the region, the Choong temple complex was started to be restored on December 8, 2013 (lunar calendar), January 8, 2014, and completed on June 15, 2014. On these days, July 29 and 30, the People's Committee of Quy Hop district solemnly organized the Choong temple festival and received the Certificate of recognition as a provincial historical relic at Choong temple, Chau Ly commune. The restoration and recognition of Choong temple as a provincial historical relic not only timely meets the spiritual needs and cultural needs, but also affirms and acknowledges the strong vitality of a historical relic rich in the meaning of patriotic and humane traditions in a sacred mountainous area with beautiful landscapes!

Ngo Kien