Visit Long Thai temple on Thai Son
(Baonghean) -One day at the beginning of the year, we had a spring trip to Thai Son commune (Do Luong district, Nghe An) and were lucky to witness the spring ceremony at Long Thai communal house, a provincial historical-cultural relic.
From early morning, Long Thai communal house yard resounded with drums inviting and urging everyone to come quickly to the ceremony. When the yard was full of old people, middle-aged people, young people and children, the offerings from the villages were complete, the team of priests in proper robes and hats entered the middle of the communal house. These were prestigious and virtuous elders in the village who were recommended by the villagers to represent the village in the ceremony. The ceremony lasted for hours, the sound of drums and gongs echoing from the ancient communal house roof further enhancing the sacredness.
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Long Thai Communal House on the day of the ceremony |
Mr. Hoang Van Long (an elder of the village) told the history of the communal house.
Around 1512, Mac Dang Dung overthrew the Le dynasty. Mrs. Bui Thi Ngoc Thuy (wife of King Le Chieu Tong) was pregnant and had to flee to Vinh Long village, Bach Ha commune (now Thai Son commune, Do Luong) for refuge. Later, she gave birth to a son and named him Le Ninh. Le Ninh grew up under the care of the local people. Some time later, Le Ninh was taken to Ai Lao by a former Le dynasty official, Hung Quoc Cong, with the intention of recruiting soldiers to restore the Le dynasty. He was honored by his courtiers as Trang Tong.
Le Trang Tong's army was supported by people in many places, and his prestige grew stronger and stronger. When the Mac dynasty weakened, a former mandarin of the Le dynasty, Nguyen Kim, found a way to bring Le Trang Tong back to the court, established the throne, and took the reign name Nguyen Hoa. Le Trang Tong reigned for 16 years (1533 - 1548). After his death, the people of Vinh Long village (now Long Thai village) built a communal house and a temple in the south of the village to pray for the protection and blessing of King Le Trang Tong.
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Prepare to perform the ceremony |
Long Thai communal house used to have 3 rooms, made entirely of ironwood. After many renovations and restorations, today's communal house has 5 rooms, made entirely of jackfruit wood. In terms of sculptures, the carved patterns of the communal house still retain their ancient features, and the mascots and sacrificial objects are still preserved by Long Thai people. In 2006, Long Thai communal house was recognized as a Historical - Cultural Relic by Nghe An Provincial People's Committee.
Since the 1950s, due to war, the rituals were not held regularly, sometimes for decades. Since 2006, the local government has decided to hold the spring ritual on January 13 every year. Before the ritual, in the communal house yard, the youth group organizes cultural exchanges and campfires, adding to the joy and excitement of the New Year and spring.
Cong Kien
