Spiritual "support" of fishermen

Hung Yen province has nearly 54km of coastline and 5 large river mouths. Spread over this area, the religious and spiritual life of coastal people is rich with its own characteristics. In particular, spiritual beliefs help fishermen overcome big waves and strong winds, firmly stick to the vast ocean, and strive to enrich their homeland.

Local people and tourists from all over participate in the Hung Long temple festival, Dong Tien Hai commune.

Cua Lan Temple, Dong Chau Commune is a place to worship Dai Can National Nam Hai Tu Vi Thanh Nuong - the gods commonly worshiped in coastal villages in the North and Central regions. From the perspective of folk legends or genealogies, the divine stories of the Four Holy Mothers, there are many different versions, but in general, they all praise the sacredness of the gods who helped the king and the people fight the enemy. The villagers were grateful and built temples to worship them. In the past, Ngai Chau village was adjacent to the sea, near Cua Lan, where fishing and shrimp fishing boats anchored. In 1835, fishermen here contributed their labor and money to build Cua Lan Temple to worship Dai Can National Nam Hai Tu Vi Thanh Nuong, imbued with the belief of worshiping the Holy Mother of the coastal residents, expressing the wish for the Holy Mother to bless the sea to be calm so that fishermen and boats could fish, shrimp, and exploit seafood. For many years as the head of Cua Lan Temple, Mr. Pham Ngoc Son has welcomed local people and tourists from all over to offer incense and express their gratitude to their ancestors. He shared: In the past, people in the area developed their economy from salt production, then aquaculture, seafood farming, and coastal and offshore fishing. All of these jobs are closely related to the spiritual life at the temple, along with the wish that all trips to sea would be smooth sailing.

Tourists listen to stories about the whale grave at Cua Lan Temple, Dong Chau Commune.

Cua Lan Temple also has a tomb to worship whales (whale) - the guardian deity of fishermen. According to Mr. Bui Ngoc Khan, Head of Khai Chau village, Dong Chau commune, there is a legend that when this land was first established, every year in the third lunar month, a school of whales would come to the sacred Cua Lan temple. When fishermen went fishing near the shore and saw a very large whale skeleton washed ashore at Dong Chau beach, they reported to the authorities to bring it back to the temple for burial and worship with the hope of safe fishing along the coast.

In Hung Long village, Dong Tien Hai commune, according to the legend, Saint Hoang Bo - the god who governs the river region, incarnated as Minh Duc Dai Vuong at Hung Long temple. Currently, the temple is being renovated by local people and tourists from all over the world and traditional rituals are strictly maintained in the annual festival. Mr. Pham Van Chinh, Deputy Head of the Department of Culture and Society of Dong Tien Hai commune, said: In 2025, Hung Long temple festival will become a national intangible cultural heritage, showing the recognition of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for the work of preserving and promoting the unique cultural identity of the locality. Hopefully, Hung Long temple relic will be a destination on the spiritual cultural tourism experience journey of tourists from all over the world.

As a national intangible cultural heritage, the salt making profession in Thai Thuy commune is associated with the relic of the Temple of the Lady of Salt - a place to commemorate the person who contributed to the spread of the salt making profession in this coastal area. Ancient books record that: The Lady of Salt is the third concubine Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh, wife of King Tran Anh Tong.

The Temple of Lady Salt in Thai Thuy commune is a place to remember and pay tribute to the person who spread the salt profession in the local sea area.

In the minds of the people, the Lady of Salt is not only a symbol of professional patronage but also the embodiment of the spirit of persistent labor and attachment to the sea. The salt-making profession brings economic value to the people's lives, and is closely associated with local culture because this is the only commune in the province today that still preserves the traditional method of salt production using sand drying. Mr. Vu Duc Tuan, the Management Board of the Lady of Salt Temple relic, said: The relic has been around for over 700 years. The people are grateful to her for being the one who discovered the way to exchange agricultural products to serve the life and production here.

Amidst the rich and diverse spiritual culture, the good customs and practices that have been passed down through generations are the spiritual "support", helping each fisherman to be more firmly attached to the homeland sea. Traditional festivals taking place at these relics are an opportunity to strengthen the spirit of solidarity within the community, thereby joining hands to preserve and promote the national cultural identity.

Tu Anh

Source: https://baohungyen.vn/diem-tua-tinh-than-cua-ngu-dan-3186771.html