About the place where 'everywhere you go you'll find... relics' on the banks of Lam River

Village of scholars

According to historical documents, before 1825, Trung Phuc Cuong belonged to Nam Kim commune, Thanh Chuong district, Duc Tho prefecture (including communes on the right bank of Lam river of Nam Dan). During the reign of King Minh Mang (1826), Thanh Chuong was separated from Duc Tho to be merged into Anh Son prefecture. During the reign of King Thanh Thai (1889-1907), there was a change in administrative boundaries between Thanh Chuong and Nam Dan districts, when Nam Kim commune at the end of Thanh Chuong was merged into Nam Dan district. Although the district-level boundaries changed, the names of the villages such as: Duong Lieu, Trung Can, Dong Chau, Xuan Trach (old Nam Trung), or Xuan Phuc, Dong Vien, Quang Xa (old Nam Phuc)...

Nowadays, after merging all three communes of Nam Trung, Nam Phuc, Nam Cuong into Trung Phuc Cuong, the administrative boundaries and hamlets have also been adjusted to suit the management conditions. But in this land, Trung Can is still a famous village of scholars in the region. In particular, the place name Trung Can is taken from the saying "Si quy trung can, nu quy trinh thuan" (boys are valuable for their honesty and diligence, girls are valuable for their chastity and obedience).

The first son of Trung Can village was the famous Tong Tat Thang who passed the third class of the Doctorate examination in the year At Suu (1505) under King Le Uy Muc. At that time, he was just 18 years old. He was an official of the Ministry of Justice, holding the title of Nghia Quan Cong. As the village's official, Tong Tat Thang was later honored by the people of Trung Can village as the village's tutelary god.

In particular, in Trung Can village, the story of three generations of "successors", five times of going abroad as ambassadors of the father and son, grandfather and grandson of the Nguyen Trong family is one of the rare cases in the feudal history of the country. In which, the father was Mr. Nguyen Trong Thuong (1681 - 1737), at the age of 32, passed the Third Class of the same doctorate exam in the year of Nham Thin, Vinh Thinh 8 (1712) of Le Du Tong. Nguyen Trong Thuong held the position of Right Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and was sent by the court to go abroad as an ambassador to the Qing Dynasty. When his term expired, on the way back home, he unfortunately fell ill and suddenly passed away.

Nguyen Trong Thuong's son, Nguyen Trong Duong (also known as Dang, born in 1724, died in 1786), in 1769 under King Le Hien Tong, passed the Third Class Doctorate exam in the year of Ky Suu. He served as an official to the position of Han Lam Hieu Ly, and was sent to the Qing Dynasty as an envoy in 1761. After returning to the country, he was appointed Governor of Lang Son, with the title of Lap Son Count. During his time as an official in Lang, he was the one who built the Nguong Duc tower and personally composed the stele marking the Vietnam-China border.

In the generation of his grandson, Mr. Nguyen Trong Duong, was the eldest grandson of Mr. Nguyen Trong Thuong and called Mr. Nguyen Trong Duong his uncle. In 1779, Nguyen Trong Duong passed the third class of the Ky Hoi examination, Canh Hung 40, Le Hien Tong dynasty. He served as an official with the position of Han Lam Hieu Thao, obeying the court's order to be the Deputy Ambassador to the Qing dynasty. After his term ended and he returned to the country, he was promoted to Thi Che, appointed as the Governor of Lang Son and held the position until the beginning of King Gia Long's reign, when he passed away.

During the reign of King Minh Mang of the Nguyen Dynasty, Doctor Nguyen Trong Duong's son, Nguyen Trong Vo, also passed the Huong Cong exam, became an official of the Imperial Academy, and was honored by the court to be sent as an ambassador to China twice. Today, in the Nguyen Trong family temple in Trung Can, there is a pair of parallel sentences: "Quoc the ngu hoa trung cong phi/ Thu huong tam the ngu hoang hoa" (roughly translated: Five times on diplomatic missions to China, honoring the nation/Three generations of golden flowers, shining with the fragrance of books). Legend has it that each time on a diplomatic mission, the Qing court bestowed a golden flower to pin on the ambassador's hat, as a mark of respect for the learned and talented people of the Qing court.

In particular, after passing the exams and being appointed as mandarins, generations of the Nguyen Trong family also contributed to their homeland and country. Among them, Dr. Nguyen Trong Duong and his son had the merit of building Trung Can communal house from 1781, and completed it in 1782. This is one of the four large-scale communal houses with famous beautiful architecture in the region. By 1996, the Trung Can communal house relic and Tong Tat Thang tomb were ranked as National Monuments.

Go out and see relics

The previous "ferry" barriers made Trung Phuc Cuong land in particular and the communes on the right bank of Lam River in Nam Dan District almost isolated from the remaining communes on the left bank. Today, Yen Xuan bridge across Lam River through Trung Phuc Cuong commune has made traveling more convenient. Not much different from the villages along Lam River, but the fact that this place often has great scholars in history is something that no one has been able to fully explain. Perhaps it is the continuation of family and clan traditions, the desire to rise up to overcome the hardships and difficulties of a land often considered the flood center of the lower Lam River.

When crossing Yen Xuan bridge, in the peaceful space of a civilized countryside, the winter winds blowing in carrying the cool breeze of Lam river made us feel strangely relaxed. Along the dike on the right bank of Lam river, every so often there is a sign leading to the historical relics at national and provincial level, so that visitors from near and far can visit and learn. This is also what makes Trung Phuc Cuong commune different.

In this land, every family can be proud of its history. If the Nguyen Trong family is proud of “Three generations and five royal flowers”, the Nguyen Van family is proud of “Three generations and five royal degrees” and “Two-month Doctorates”. Among them, Mr. Nguyen Van Giao passed the First Class Doctorate exam, third name, second name (Second Third Doctorate); Mr. Nguyen Van Giao’s nephew, Nguyen Huu Lap, passed the First Class Doctorate exam, second name (Hoang Giap). In the family, there was also Nguyen Tu Tai who passed the Vice Doctorate exam.

Or the Nguyen Huu family with Nguyen Huu Duc, alias To Lam (1799 - 1858), whose second wife was Nguyen Thi Dam, the youngest daughter of the great poet Nguyen Du. Mr. Nguyen Huu Duc passed the bachelor's exam at the age of 26, was appointed by the court as the District Chief of Yen The (Bac Giang), then the District Chief of Trieu Phong (Quang Tri). Under the reign of Minh Mang, he was awarded the title of Han Lam Vien Thi Ly, then Han Lam Vien Thi Doc, concurrently holding the position of Imperial Censor in the court...

Mr. Nguyen An Toan - Chairman of Trung Phuc Cuong Commune People's Committee could not hide his pride when he took me on a tour around the commune. Mr. Toan said that in the commune, there are currently 16 historical and cultural relics, including 4 national relics and 12 provincial relics. Currently, there are also a number of relics and relic sites that are preparing documents to be ranked soon.

According to Mr. Toan, in addition to Trung Can communal house which was ranked as a National Monument in 1996, before that in 1993, Dong Vien communal house (formerly Nam Phuc commune) was also ranked as a National architectural and artistic relic. In addition, there is the Tu family temple (formerly Nam Cuong commune), which was recognized as a National historical and cultural relic in 2001. The Tu family temple was built in the mid-16th century to worship the ancestors of the Tu family. On June 5, 1930, at the Tu family temple, the first Communist Party cell of Vietnam in Nam Cuong was born. From then on, the Tu family temple became a meeting place and secret communication place for cadres of the Central Party Committee, Nam Dan District Party Committee, Phu Long Party Cell and Nam Kim Commune. The temple was also a place to organize printing and hide Party documents and leaflets.

In 2012, in Trung Phuc Cuong commune, there was also a national-ranked relic, the Memorial House of Comrade Nguyen Tiem (1912-1932), former member of the Central Region Party Committee Standing Committee, first Secretary of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee.

Not to mention, in the area there are also 12 provincial-level historical and cultural relics, mainly clan churches. Each clan has its own contributions to the nation's revolutionary movement. That is the Tran Dinh clan church (branch 2), the birthplace of comrade Tran Dinh San, the first Secretary of the Nam Kim General Committee (with 6 branches) and Secretary of Duong Lieu Branch (including 2 villages Duong Lieu and Trung Can), belonging to Nam Kim commune, later Nam Trung commune. Since 1940, comrade Tran Dinh San was assigned by Nghe An Provincial Party Committee to build the movement in the western districts of Nghe An. During his revolutionary journey, comrade Tran Dinh San was arrested and imprisoned by the enemy many times. In early 1945, he was released from Buon Ma Thuot prison and stayed in Phu Yen to work according to the Party's assignment. In 1954, when the Geneva Agreement was signed, our country was temporarily divided into two regions. Comrade Tran Dinh San was forced to gather in the North, work at the General Department of Vietnam Railways, then became Principal of the Mechanical School, Ministry of Agriculture.

Or the Memorial House of Comrade Tran Quoc Hoan (aka Nguyen Trong Canh), former member of the Politburo - the first Minister of Public Security of our country, was started construction in June 2010, although it has not been ranked yet, but with the display of the life, career and contributions of Comrade Tran Quoc Hoan, it has greatly contributed to educating the tradition of the People's Public Security force in general and generations of people of Trung Phuc Cuong commune in particular.

According to Mr. Toan, implementing the decentralization of management of relics and scenic spots, all relics have established Management Boards to look after, care for and protect them. All activities are under the general State management of the Chairman of the Commune People's Committee. The Management Board of the relics is responsible for monitoring and reporting the situation when the relics show signs of deterioration. At the same time, there must be a plan to preserve, restore and promote the value of the relics, contributing to educating cultural traditions for future generations.

Leaving Trung Phuc Cuong, I understand more and more that the historical and cultural value of a family, clan, village or more broadly, of a nation is the continuation of the past. That is the identity and cultural value of a land that is not easily obtained in a day or two. Only then can we see that the cultural, patriotic and academic traditions of the ancestors in the villages of Trung Can, Duong Lieu, Dong Vien... in Trung Phuc Cuong today, or any other locality, need to be always nurtured and promoted. Otherwise, it will certainly be lost and forgotten in the past...