Groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a temple to Lord Nguyen Hoang at the site of a temple to the lord 400 years ago

Elders of An Nha village laid the foundation stone and broke ground for the construction of the temple to worship Lord Nguyen Hoang - Photo: HOANG TAO

On the morning of April 16, the People's Committee of Gio An commune (Gio Linh district, Quang Tri province) solemnly held a groundbreaking ceremony to lay the first stone to build a temple to worship Lord Nguyen Hoang in An Nha village. This event shows the deep gratitude of Gio An people to the Lord who contributed to expanding the territory.

The joy of rebuilding the temple of the Lord

The ceremony took place in the consensus and excitement of the majority of people and elders.

According to Gio An Commune People's Committee, the temple was built facing north, costing about 2 billion VND from socialized sources. The temple has an ancient design, 3 rooms and 2 wings according to tradition.

After completion, the locality continued to call for support to cast a bronze statue of Lord Nguyen, creating a solemn and sacred worship space.

Mr. Nguyen Truong Cam, 76 years old, former head of An Nha village, who has devoted much effort to restoring the relic, shared: "For many years, I have always been concerned about rebuilding a worthy place of worship for the fairy god. Today, witnessing the groundbreaking ceremony, the villagers are very excited because their long-standing dream has come true."

Sketch of Nguyen Lord Temple - Photo: HOANG TAO

Mr. Nguyen Van Song - Chairman of Gio An Commune People's Committee - informed that the idea of ​​rebuilding Lord Nguyen Hoang's temple has been cherished for a long time, but it was not until 2023 that the project was actually implemented through many stages of preparation and connection.

The temple is expected to be completed in August this year, coinciding with Lord Nguyen Hoang's birthday, so that people and tourists can come to worship and commemorate the lord who made great contributions to the nation's history.

Building a temple is not only a material construction but also an act of profound cultural and humanistic significance, contributing to traditionaleducation and arousing national pride in the community.

This is the first temple of Lord Nguyen in Quang Tri land - where the Lord opened the land.

The foundation of the temple worshiping Lord Nguyen Hoang 400 years ago, with remaining stone pillars - Photo: HOANG TAO

Remains of a temple worshiping the lord 400 years ago

Right in front of the new temple construction site are the remains of a temple to Lord Nguyen Hoang built 400 years ago.

According to records, the original relic still has a stone foundation, stone pillars, surrounding stone walls and ancient pineapple trees.

In front of the ancient temple there is a natural mound of earth, which is considered a protective screen.

According to historical documents, in 1572, after defeating the invading Mac army, Lord Nguyen Hoang allowed the surrendered Mac soldiers to stay in Con Tien land, establishing 36 wards under Bai An commune.

The ancient Tong Bai An is the land of Gio An today.

To remember the merits of Lord Nguyen Hoang, the descendants of the Mac soldiers who were spared and settled here built a temple to worship Lord Nguyen Hoang in An Dinh Nha (now An Nha village).

Ancient pineapple rows surround the ancient temple grounds - Photo: HOANG TAO

Historical documents do not specifically record the exact year the Nguyen Hoang temple was built, however there is information that the temple was built after Lord Nguyen Hoang passed away in 1613.

In 1823, King Minh Mang thought that the people's arbitrary construction of a temple to worship Nguyen Hoang was "absurd" and ordered the temple to be changed into a pagoda, named Long Phuoc Pagoda. Over the vicissitudes of time, Long Phuoc Pagoda now only has a stone foundation.

Long Phuoc Pagoda was ranked as a provincial historical and cultural relic in 1996. Every year, at An Nha communal house, the pole-raising ceremony takes place from the 23rd to the 25th of the 12th lunar month. The pole is carried from the temple to the communal house, showing the connection between the temple and the village community.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dong-tho-xay-den-tho-chua-nguyen-hoang-o-noi-tung-co-mieu-tho-chua-400-nam-truoc-20250416111235277.htm