From a conference to a temple worthy of Ly Nam De

VHO - In October 2012, 15 centuries after Ly Nam De ascended the throne, a conference was held to determine the homeland of the national hero. Twelve years after the conference, on November 2, the People's Committee of Pho Yen City held the inauguration ceremony of the restoration and embellishment of the Ly Nam De Temple Relic (Muc Temple), located in the Ly Nam De Historical Relic Complex including Muc Temple, Huong Ap Pagoda and Man Tang Pagoda in Tien Phong Ward.

Muc Temple was built to commemorate Ly Nam De, one of the 14 typical heroes of the Vietnamese people. Every year, people hold the main festival on the 12th day of the first lunar month to commemorate the merits of Ly Nam De.

In 2014, Muc Temple and Huong Ap Pagoda were ranked as national historical relics by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. However, over time and historical changes, the items in the relic site have seriously degraded, especially the wooden components and load-bearing structures.

To preserve this heritage, since 2016, the People's Council of Thai Nguyen province has approved the project to restore and embellish the Ly Nam De Temple relic site, with a planning area of 7,500m², with a total investment of 76 billion VND, and implementation period from 2023 to 2025.

Talking deeply about the journey to determine Ly Nam De's homeland, historian Duong Trung Quoc said: "Muc Temple has existed for a long time but before that it was only a small temple in the scale of the village. 12 years ago, the Vietnam Historical Science Association coordinated with local leaders to organize a workshop (Some issues about the Pre-Ly Dynasty and the homeland of King Ly Nam De - PV) to determine where King Ly Nam De's homeland was. For a long time, some documents mentioned Thai Binh, but all historical and geographical analyses showed that Thai Binh space in the 6th century had not yet been formed. And when we went to survey, Thai Binh people respected him very much but also said that it seemed that his homeland was not Thai Binh today. On that basis and some other studies, historians affirmed that Ly Nam De's hometown was in Co Phap village, Tien Phong commune, Pho Yen district, Thai Nguyen province. After determining his homeland, Muc Temple and some historical relics were found here. Based on the scientific foundation Thus, local leaders quickly decided to restore the temple to match his contributions to the country.

The restoration project not only helps protect the relic but also enhances the cultural and spiritual value of the area, creating a highlight in the tourist complex of Pho Yen City and Thai Nguyen Province. Located 6 km from Pho Yen City, 20 km from Thai Nguyen City and about 50 km from Hanoi Capital, with a convenient transportation system, the relic site will meet the religious needs of residents and visitors.

In addition, the area is also an ideal transit point on the tour from Pho Yen City to Dai Lai Lake, Tam Dao Tourist Area (Vinh Phuc) and Nui Coc Lake Tourist Area (Thai Nguyen City), opening up great potential in tourism development and contributing to promoting the socio-economic development in the region.

Historian Duong Trung Quoc emphasized: “In the history of the nation, he was initially the leader who fought against the domination of the Liang Dynasty and then became the head of state, named the country Van Xuan, and became the first person to proclaim himself emperor. In addition, he was also the first person to choose the land to establish the capital associated with Thang Long-Hanoi later, in the To Lich River estuary (Hanoi). With that merit, his dynasty demonstrated the will of the Vietnamese people, always looking for opportunities to regain autonomy, which later generations continued to do. After 12 years, from scientific conclusions, today there is a spacious foundation commensurate with our respect for our ancestors. This will be a place to rekindle historical values, thereby educating society. Hopefully this will not only be a place of pure worship but also create a destination for the younger generation, to better understand this land, about the history of the nation”.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/tu-cuoc-hoi-thao-den-ngoi-den-tuong-xung-tam-ly-nam-de-110660.html