Visit the temple of Lady Binh Khuong at Dong Mon

Located in the East of the World Cultural Heritage (WCH) Ho Dynasty Citadel (Vinh Loc) is a temple dedicated to Binh Khuong, who was killed by banging her head against a rock to seek justice for her husband. The story of the temple is passed down by local people and is associated with many historical stories about the construction of Ho Dynasty Citadel.

Binh Khuong Temple in Dong Mon Village, Vinh Long Commune (Vinh Loc). Photo: Khac Cong

According to legend, in 1397, when Ho Quy Ly ordered the construction of the Ho Dynasty Citadel, he entrusted the tribute student Tran Cong Sy with the important responsibility of supervising and urging the construction of the eastern wall. The construction time was urgent, the other walls were completed, but the section of the wall that Tran Cong Sy was in charge of collapsed almost immediately after completion, for unknown reasons. When he heard the news, Ho Quy Ly was extremely angry, he suspected Tran Cong Sy of treason, intentionally slowing down the construction progress, so he ordered his soldiers to bury Tran Cong Sy's body right at the collapsed wall as a deterrent.

Tran Cong Sy's wife, Binh Khuong, heard the news that her husband was unjustly sentenced to death and was extremely resentful. In extreme pain, she rushed to the stone wall, using all her strength to knock down the rocks that built the citadel, hoping to see her husband's body. Exhausted but the citadel wall did not shake, Binh Khuong hit her head on the rock to die with her husband. The stone slab where she committed suicide had a very deep hole in the shape of a human head and two handprints. Sympathizing with Binh Khuong's death, the people wrote poems praising her loyal and steadfast heart: "Her chaste heart pierced the rock/ Forever known for its fragrance".

Feeling sympathy for Binh Khuong's love for her husband, the local people built a temple to worship her at the place where she committed suicide right at the foot of the Ho Dynasty Citadel, next to the place where her husband was buried alive (in Dong Mon village, Vinh Long commune today). The temple is located close to the eastern wall of the Ho Dynasty Citadel, on a flat land, with an area of ​​600m2. The temple has a "cong" shape, including the front hall, the back hall and two wings. Tour guide Do Thi Xuan Thanh said: The temple was originally built in the early 15th century, but later fell into ruins, and in 1903, Thanh Hoa Governor Vuong Duy Trinh ordered it to be rebuilt. However, through the vicissitudes of time and war, the temple was degraded. In 2009, the temple was restored and preserved by the Ho Dynasty Citadel World Heritage Conservation Center in traditional wooden architecture. In 1995, the Binh Khuong temple was recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as a provincial historical and cultural relic.

Currently, the temple still preserves many valuable artifacts, such as a stone slab that local people believe is the mark of Binh Khuong banging her head to cry out for injustice in the past. The stone slab is 2m long and 1.5m wide, with a dent on its surface larger than a human head, and two marks on both sides that look like the marks of her two hands pressing down. In addition, there is a stone stele recording the legend of Binh Khuong committing suicide to cry out for her husband's injustice, erected in the temple grounds. Behind the temple of Binh Khuong, on the wall of the Ho Dynasty Citadel, there is a tomb and a stone stele recording the name of the supervisor Tran Cong Sy. The temple has traditional wooden architecture, with elaborate carvings. On the right side of the temple is a small pond, and the strange thing is that no matter how hot or how dry the sun is, the pond never runs dry. The temple is surrounded by cool green trees all year round. The ancient temple has become a favorite destination for tourists to visit, offering flowers and incense to pray for happiness, peace and health when visiting the Ho Dynasty Citadel World Heritage Site.

To commemorate Lady Binh Khuong, every year on the 1st day of the 9th lunar month, the people of Dong Mon village enthusiastically organize the Mother Binh Khuong Memorial Ceremony to commemorate the merits of the foreman who built the citadel Tran Cong Sy and to praise the faithful and devoted love of Lady Binh Khuong. The Mother Binh Khuong Memorial Ceremony is imbued with the national cultural identity of the ancient capital.

Engraving

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ve-dong-mon-tham-den-tho-nbsp-nang-binh-khuong-243127.htm