Dong Co Temple in My Da village.
My Da is an ancient land of Hoang Hoa district. In the past, this place was called Ke Co, located separately from other villages in the commune. To enter the village, one must follow the trails across Tam Tong field - once a vast, boundless rice field. My Da village was also once likened to a region of "prosperous people, good rice crops". In the past, My Da village had a communal house and a 3-room pagoda worshiping Buddha. In the pagoda, there were 5 Buddha statues made of precious wood, a bronze bell and many other artifacts. However, over time, the pagoda no longer exists, only a natural well remains; the communal house is also lost, leaving behind a stone pedestal. Only Dong Co temple, through the ups and downs of history, still stands firmly at the head of the village, becoming the spiritual support for generations of people here.
Dong Co Temple in My Da village is a historical and cultural relic with spiritual value, national tradition in building and defending the country, associated with the miracle of Dong Co god "manifestation". According to legend, in 1020, Crown Prince Ly Phat Ma (son of King Ly Thai To) led his army to fight the enemy from the South, passed through Hoang Hoa, arrived at My Da village at noon, suddenly saw the sky raining, wind, thunder and lightning fiercely, unable to advance. The Crown Prince let his army rest here. Looking around, the Crown Prince recognized the terrain of this land as a lotus flower, thought it was strange so he ordered his entourage to set up an altar. At night, the spirit saw Dong Co god appear and declare his name: "I am Son Than Dong Co, following the king to defeat the enemy. Now seeing this place is sacred land so I manifest" and then disappeared. On the day of the battle, while the two sides were fighting, suddenly the sound of bronze drums resounded loudly, our army won a great victory. When returning in triumph, the Crown Prince celebrated the army at My Da village. In memory of the god's merits and the sacredness of My Da land, the royal court issued an edict to the village, ordering the people to build a temple. The king gave the god the title "Thuong Dang Phuc Than", and worshiped him for a thousand years. After many historical events and natural destruction, Dong Co temple no longer exists, but the architectural scale still exists. Around 2000, the temple was restored. In 2004, Dong Co temple was ranked as a national historical and cultural relic.
Party Cell Secretary and Head of My Da Village, Le Viet Von, said: “For a long time, Dong Co Temple in My Da village has become a place for spiritual and cultural activities of the people in the region. In particular, Dong Co Temple Festival is held on the first day of the second lunar month, which is a major festival of the village. In 2023, the villagers donated money to repair the yard, surrounding fence, tile roofing, and re-paved the floor inside the temple. That same year, everyone in the village was happy when the My Da village gate was built from funds contributed by the people and children living far away from home with beautiful architecture, adding vitality to the village. At the same time, the people voluntarily exchanged agricultural land right behind the village gate to consolidate into one plot, creating a land fund expected to later build the village's landscape area. Along with the State's stimulus, the villagers also contributed more than 550 million VND to build drainage ditches and roads to improve the landscape of their homeland.”
My Da village currently has 388 households, with more than 1,400 people. The younger generation works in factories, the older generation diligently works in the fields. Many of the village's children have passed their studies and become famous. In the flow of development, the most valuable thing is the connection of the community, the common features of customs, habits, and culture of the villagers are always preserved and promoted. In particular, when the New Rural Development project was deployed, the village had a "change of skin and flesh".
At this point, My Da, along with other villages of Hoang Duc commune, will merge with But Son town and the communes of Hoang Dong, Hoang Dao, Hoang Ha, and Hoang Dat into a new commune called Hoang Hoa commune. The concerns from the change also bring with it the expectation of a development space in the new period. No matter how it changes, the ancient cultural features and historical cultural imprints in this land will certainly continue to be preserved and promoted. So that the countryside will always be a place to remember, to love, a place to return to, as the reminder written on the village gate says: "Welcoming descendants back to the homeland to gather/ The ancestors' light sits in a place of reunion".
Article and photos: Minh Hien
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/phia-sau-cong-lang-253498.htm
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