Attending the ceremony were Mr. Pham Qui Tien, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Council; Mr Chu Xuan Dung, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee; Mrs. Pham Thi Thanh Mai, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the City’s National Assembly; and representatives of departments, districts, towns, authority leaders of Ba Vi district and a large number of local people.
Leaders of Ba Vi city and district cut the ribbon to inaugurate Ha Temple’s restoration and embellishment.
In the mind of Doai people (Ba Vi people), especially in the mountainous area of Tan Ba Vi, Ba Vi Mountain is the “Great brother” mountain of Vietnam, where the legend of Son Tinh – Thuy Tinh and God Tan Vien Son started. God Tan Viet Son is the leading god in “Four Immortals” in the Vietnamese temple. According to the legend of forklore culture, Tan Vien Son’s real name is Nguyen Tuan, the son of Dinh Thi Den and the late father Nguyen Cao Hanh. He was born in Lang Suong Cave, now in the Dong Trung commune – Thanh Thuy district – Phu Tho area.
He was a hero who creates culture, fire, water to save people, teaches people different professions and was worshiped as a polytechnic ancestor. Honouring his merits and virtues, the people respected and established many temples in Ba Vi district and other places in the cultural region of the Doai Land. According to the statistics, there are 397 historical sites in Ba Vi district, including more than 100 historical sites worshiping Thanh Tan, and 128 recognized monuments. The group of historical sites consists of Tan Vien Son Thanh Temple, Thuong Temple, Trung Temple, and Ha Temple was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2008. The custom of worshiping Tan Vien Son Thanh in Ba Vi district was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2018.
Authority leaders of Hanoi city and Ba Vi district attached a signboard to celebrate the 55th anniversary of Ba Vi district’s establishment.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Do Manh Hung, Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee, Chairman of Ba Vi District People’s Committee said: “According to the record preserved at Trung temple, Minh Quang commune, Ba Vi district, Thanh Tan was born on the full moon day of January, became a God on November 6, and the place where he became a God was at the top of the mountain. People built a temple to worship him on that destination and it became Thuong Temple, a national cultural and historical site. For thousands of generations, worshiping and commemoration of the God have been an integral part in people’s lives. On those days, ethnic minorities in Ba Vi Mountain area often celebrate the incense offerings and offer specialties made by local people to the God to show gratitude and pray for nice weather, strength, prosperity, people’s well-being, and happy families.”
The project of restoration and embellishment of Ha Temple – the national historical site creates an overall cultural space symbolizing the pride of Ba Vi
At the incense offering ceremony, there was also the inauguration of Ha Temple, the national historical and cultural historical site’s restoration and embellishment. The site locates at the foot of Tan Vien Mountain, next to Da River in the old Thu Phap commune (now Minh Quang commune). Ha Temple was built a long time ago and it had been restored and repaired during the Ly, Tran and Le dynasties. Over the time, the local people and contributions from other areas completed a new Ha Temple including: Nghi Mon, Tien Bai, Hau Cung, Mother goddesses shrine, President Ho Chi Minh’s shrine and a number of works serving the religious of worshiping Duc Thanh Tan in 1993. In 2021, Ba Vi district started a project to restore and embellish the National Historical and Cultural Site of Ha Temple with a total cost of nearly 30 billion VND. The constructions include Mother goddesses shrine, Left and right house, stele house, ark house, guest house, interior house and additional adjustment of embankment, screen, parking lot, service house. The system five palaces, statues, worshiping objects and trees was socialized donated with an amount of billions Vietnamese dong.
Up to now, the work has been completed ahead of schedule and planned, ensuring the requirements of traditional architecture, techniques, fine arts and cultural – historical values of the site. It creates an overall cultural space and also be a proud symbol of Ba Vi district.
Phan Quoc Khanh