Casting the Idol and roofing the temple of Great Physician Dao Cong Chinh

Topping-out ceremony of the temple of Great Physician Dao Cong Chinh. (Photo: Organizing Committee)

The great physician Dao Cong Chinh is known as the founder of health preservation methods, and is also a great politician and cultural figure of Dai Viet in the 17th century.

The investment project to build the Temple and Tomb of the Great Physician Dao Cong Chinh has a total investment capital of more than 7 billion VND in phase 1, using 100% of socialized funding. The project includes: a 9-room ironwood temple with an area of 209m2; a natural stone tomb, leveling the ground of a 500m2 campus; building a concrete yard paved with Thanh Hoa stone... The project was led by Venerable Thich Quang Minh - Head of the Cultural Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Hai Phong City, Abbot of Thang Phuc Pagoda as Head of the Construction Mobilization Committee.

The project started on April 14. To date, the items have completed 60% or more of the work volume, and are expected to be completed and put into use before the Lunar New Year of Binh Ngo 2026.

According to historical documents, the Great Physician Dao Cong Chinh was born in 1639, in Hoi Am village, Nom name is Coi village, Vinh Lai district, Hai Duong region (now Cao Minh 8 village, Hoi Am village, Vinh Am commune, Hai Phong city), a land of talented literati, with Pham Duc Khan passing the second class Doctorate exam in the year of Mau Thin (1448), the first Doctorate of Hai Phong.

At the age of 23, during the reign of King Le Than Tong, he passed the Bang Nhan exam, so the villagers also called him Bang Coi. Loved by the king and respected by the lord, the great physician Dao Cong Chinh rose very quickly, within just 15 years (1661-1676) from Thi Thu Han Lam Vien, he was appointed to the position of Phu Doan Phung Thien (head of the capital Thang Long).

In 1673, Dao Cong Chinh was appointed by the court as deputy ambassador of the Royal Guards to China. In 1675, after returning to the country, due to his good performance in his duties, he was appointed as Right Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and then as Lecturer of the King, then as Left Minister of the Sangha, and as Senior Minister of the Quang Tien Than Loc Dai Phu and Boi Tung.

Dao Cong Chinh was also an important writer in the 17th century. When he was a secretary of the Imperial Academy, he co-authored the compilation of "Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu" and edited the "Ky Tuc Bien" section, which was completed (in 1665).

When he entered the royal court to lecture (lecture books for the king) for 2 years (1675-1676), he also worked as a historian in chief (ie Chief Editor) editing 2 famous national history books: "Trung san Lam Son Thuc Luc" and "Dai Viet Le Trieu De Vuong Trung Hung Cong Nghiep Thuc Luc".

Casting the statue of famous physician Dao Cong Chinh.

In particular, in 1676, Dao Cong Chinh became the Royal Physician, compiled the book "Bao sinh Dien tho toan yeu" according to the edict of King Le Hien Tong and Lord Trinh Can. The book's content was about health preservation techniques for kings and mandarins, not for common people, but the book was very comprehensive in both theory and practice, disease prevention, treatment, training, instructions on eating, abstinence, bathing, resting and living. The book closely followed the reality of the people and was effectively applied, and was received, applied, and developed by later famous doctors, so he was also honored as "The Saint of Traditional Medicine, Hoi Am Vinh Lai".

The book "Bao sinh Dien tho toan yeu" consists of 5 volumes, discussing hygiene and health preservation to live healthy and prolong life. It is also the earliest medical book in our country, valuable to this day.

In 2023, the memorial house of famous physician Dao Cong Chinh in Vinh Am, Hai Phong was also completed and put into use.

HA CHI

Source: https://nhandan.vn/duc-than-tuong-va-cat-noc-den-tho-dai-danh-y-dao-cong-chinh-post908373.html