Preserving and promoting the cultural heritage value of celebrity Do Khac Chung

Chú thích ảnh

Son Dong commune's worship committee offers incense at the temple of celebrity Do Khac Chung. Photo: Hoang Hung/VNA

Ms. Phung Thi Kim Nga, Vice Chairwoman of Phu Tho Provincial People's Committee, said that the organization of the incense offering ceremony to commemorate the 695th death anniversary of the famous person Do Khac Chung and the organization of historical and traditional cultural education activities are of great significance. This is an opportunity for the people of the province to express their gratitude and honor the typical teacher of his hometown Son Dong, a famous person who made great contributions to the country.

In addition to the ceremony, this year's program also has many meaningful activities to spread the historical and cultural values of the locality. The People's Committee of Son Dong commune coordinated with the Phu Tho Provincial Tourism Promotion Center to introduce the tour "Son Dong - Connecting Phu Tho Heritage" to connect the typical heritage sites of the ancestral land, aiming to develop sustainable cultural and spiritual tourism. This is not only to promote the image of a land of "spiritual land and talented people", but also to affirm a new direction in promoting heritage values associated with socio- economic development.

On this occasion, Phu Tho Provincial Library and Hung Vuong Museum presented more than 200 books; nearly 100 images and valuable documents on culture and history to the locality, serving the work of displaying and educating traditions.

Chú thích ảnh — The Do (Dau) family in Vietnam offers incense to commemorate the 695th death anniversary of celebrity Do Khac Chung. Photo: Hoang Hung/VNA

Promoting the tradition of studiousness and academic excellence of the sacred land, the Organizing Committee of the ceremony honored and awarded students with outstanding achievements in the "Young Champion" contest in 2025; at the same time, launched the movement "Raising Fund for Education Promotion - Talent Promotion in Son Dong Commune" to encourage the spirit of learning, nurture talents, and continue the learning spirit of their ancestors.

Teacher Do Khac Chung (also known as Tran Khac Chung), born in 1247, died in 1330, from Giap Son commune, Kinh Mon district, old Hai Duong province, now Hai Phong city. He was born into a family with a tradition of Confucianism and etiquette. After passing the imperial examinations, he served as an official in the royal court for nearly 50 years (from 1280 to 1329) under 4 Tran kings. During his career as an official, he held many important positions such as: Royal historian, Grand inspector, Junior inspector... Of which, the Grand inspector and Junior inspector were the two top officials in the court.

The famous Do Khac Chung also had great contributions to the people of Quan Tu village (Son Dong commune). Before becoming an official for the royal court, he opened a school in the village and became a teacher who ignited dreams, aspirations, and a spirit of learning in the people of the southern region of Lap Thach...

In particular, during the second resistance war against the Yuan-Mongol invaders (1285). Facing the enemy's aggressive spirit, in order to gain time to consolidate forces, the court sent an envoy to the enemy camp to seek a peace plan. He obeyed the king's order to meet the enemy general O Ma Nhi to negotiate. With his talent for dealing with people and diplomacy, he made the enemy general look up to the sky and lament: "With such a talented person in the South, it will be difficult for us to win"...

The temple of teacher Do Khac Chung in Quan Tu village, Son Dong commune, Lap Thach district, Vinh Phuc province, now Son Dong commune, Phu Tho province, was built around the middle of the 14th century on the old classroom that teacher Do Khac Chung used as a place to teach many generations of children of Quan Tu village - the old Pottery village, people used to call it Mr. Do's temple.

The temple still preserves many valuable artifacts and documents such as: A Chinese genealogy compiled by Dong Cac Dai Hoc Si Nguyen Binh Phung in the first year of Hong Phuc 1572 and a stone stele recording the names of the ancestors and successful people of Quan Tu village in the year Tu Duc Mau Dan (1878). In particular, there is a genealogy about the story of Do Khac Chung - a meritorious mandarin of the Tran Dynasty compiled by Han Lam Le Vien Quan Dong Cac Dai Hoc Si Le Trung in the first year of Hong Phuc (1572).