The tomb of Truong Dinh - a place marking the steadfastness and indomitability in fighting against foreign invaders

Memorial stele of Truong Dinh insurgents.

After Truong Dinh died, the people remembered his merit and built a temple on public land. Initially, the temple was built with mixed wood and thatched roof, then the people contributed money and materials to rebuild it with reinforced concrete.

Since its construction, this temple has undergone four repairs in 1970, 1971, 1982, and 2018. Most recently, in 2023, the local government and people restored and embellished the temple and built a memorial stele for Truong Dinh's insurgents.

The temple was built on a land area of ​​211.6 m2, surrounded by a B40 mesh fence. Through the gate is a prefabricated roof covered with corrugated iron, tiled floor with a construction area of ​​63.18 m2.

The main door of the shrine is made of iron, above the door is a cement sign that reads “Truong Cong Dinh Temple”. The two front pillars have the parallel sentences “Go Cong Truong sacrificed himself for the country/Tan Phuoc Dinh sacrificed himself for the people”. On both sides are two rows of pillars, each side has 3 pillars.

Inside the temple are three altars made of reinforced concrete: The main altar has a portrait of Truong Dinh, above the portrait is a wooden plaque with the words "Binh Tay Dai Tuong Quan Truong Cong Dinh", on the left is the altar of Ta Quan Chi Vi, on the right is the altar of Huu Quan Chi Vi.

Next to the shrine is a memorial stele built of concrete, reinforced steel and marble, with an area of ​​5.2 m2, in the middle of the stele is written: "Historical site of Truong Dinh's Tomb, Hamlet 3, Tan Phuoc Commune, Go Cong Dong District, Tien Giang Province".

The uprising of Truong Dinh and his army was the most typical uprising in the early years of the resistance war against the French colonialists. Here, Truong Dinh's trusted army fought bravely and sacrificed at the same time as the national hero Truong Dinh committed suicide (August 20, 1864) at Ao Dinh and was buried by the people in front of the temple about 200 meters from Ao Dinh. The tomb is made of earth, with a round knob, no stele, only a laterite pillar as a marker, currently located in Hamlet 3, Tan Phuoc Commune.

Ao Dinh and the tombs of the insurgents in Hamlet 3, Tan Phuoc Commune are important relics in the Truong Dinh Uprising Relic Complex in Go Cong. The relic complex is evidence of the resilience and indomitable spirit of Truong Dinh and his army in the resistance war against the French invaders in the mid-late 19th century. The Truong Dinh Tomb Relic Complex was recognized as a Provincial Historical Relic by the People's Committee of Tien Giang Province in Decision 09 dated February 15, 2000.

Previously, the graves were scattered in the fallow fields. Later, due to the people giving away the land for cultivation and flooding, the graves were eroded, the traces faded over time. But according to the people around the relics who heard from their ancestors, these were the graves of Truong Dinh's soldiers who were captured by the French colonialists, then the enemy failed to persuade them and took them out to be beheaded in the middle of the open field during the French raid on August 20, 1864.

Every year, on August 20, the government and people hold an incense offering ceremony at Ao Dinh and the temple near the tombs of Truong Dinh's soldiers to commemorate Truong Dinh's contributions to protecting the Fatherland and the soldiers who fought bravely and refused to surrender to the enemy.

NGUYEN MANH THANG

Source: https://baoapbac.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202504/mo-nghia-quan-truong-dinh-noi-ghi-dau-su-kien-cuong-bat-khuat-chong-giac-ngoai-xam-1039227/