The story of a multi-heritage couple - the savior of Hai Phong villagers

Heritage banyan tree in the grounds of Don Rieng Temple - a historical and cultural relic of Hai Phong City. Photo: Mai Dung

Pair of giant trees in the sacred temple

Don Rieng Temple is located in Hoa Nghia Ward, Duong Kinh District, Hai Phong. It is one of the temples worshiping Saint Tran Hung Dao Dai Vuong, the four princes, General Pham Ngu Lao, famous general Yet Kieu and the two ladies. In 2009, the temple was recognized as a city-level historical relic.

According to the History of the Hai Phong City Party Committee, Don Rieng Temple is located right on the alluvial plain of the historic Rieng River, amidst a spectacular landscape of villages, rivers, clouds, and sky covered with green trees. The left and right gates are built in a two-story style with curved roofs, protruding between the airy flower-covered walls separated by a pair of rectangular pillars with the roof top shaped like a lantern running on two ridges.

Don Rieng Temple was recognized as a city-level historical relic in 2009.

Don Rieng Temple was recognized as a city-level historical relic in 2009.

The temple has a Dinh-shaped structure, including 5 front rooms and 3 back rooms. The interior of the temple has been firmly restored, tightly closed above and below in a harmonious and harmonious combination of traditional wood and stone materials with rounded concrete columns and octagonal square bases. The main decorative motifs are flowers, leaves, dragons, lions, phoenixes, etc., creating a sacred look, not far from the traditional architecture of the relic.

In addition to its impressive architecture, Don Rieng Temple is also famous for its pair of majestic heritage banyan trees, towering over the entire relic site. According to the elders, when the village was first established here, there was already a temple and two lush banyan trees growing tall among the mangrove forest in the wild landscape of the beach. To date, there is no evidence to determine when the two banyan trees were built, but compared to the two remaining banyan trees of Hop Le village planted on the Mac Dynasty road since 1905, the two banyan trees at Don Rieng Temple are much larger.

Two banyan trees in Don Rieng temple are recognized as heritage trees.

Savior in the Great Storm

Of the two heritage banyan trees, the one in front of the temple has a striped, rough base. Two meters from the base of the tree, the trunk splits into two branches, one branch leaning down to reflect on the lake, the other branch spreading into the temple yard. The banyan tree behind the temple stands straight, its canopy spreading wide like a large umbrella shading half of the temple roof. The base of the tree has many layers of roots clinging to the ground, twisted like giant calves, requiring many people to hug around.

The banyan tree behind the temple stands straight, its canopy spreading out like a large umbrella, shading half of the temple roof.

Locals say that the two banyan trees were two “saviors”. During the storm in 1955, when the water rose, the villagers took shelter in the temple, which was already crowded, and many people had to climb up the two banyan trees. The branches of the two banyan trees were like hundreds of arms reaching out to save people from disaster.

After this event, the villagers wrote a poem “Remembering the year of the flood - Swept away hundreds of houses - The communal house and the two banyan trees - stood tall to save the people - Thanking the Saint a thousand times - For saving the people, the people were grateful”. At the banyan tree in front of the temple yard, people placed incense burners to worship the two banyan trees as two “saviors”.