Lang Suong - a legend about the sacred land where saints were born.

If it weren't for the introduction from the temple caretaker at Lang Suong Temple (Trung Nghia commune, Thanh Thuy district, former Phu Tho province), now Tu Vu commune, and especially if I hadn't seen and touched the sacred artifacts mentioned in the legends with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed that this temple is the birthplace of Saint Tan Vien, considered the "Supreme and Most Sacred" deity, the leader of the "Four Immortals" in Vietnamese folk religion...

The Lang Suong Temple in Tu Vu commune holds the legend of a sacred land, the birthplace of Tan Vien Son Thanh.

Land of the Holy Birth

Following the directions, we traveled along the Da River to the Lang Suong area. The journey was easy, so we arrived at the temple quite early. To our surprise and good fortune, the first person we met was Mr. Giang Dinh Quy, the temple caretaker. This was fortunate because he is a "living history book" of this land. Allowing us to explore freely, Mr. Quy explained: "Our Lang Suong village is proud to be the birthplace of Queen Au Co. This is also the birthplace of Tan Vien Son Thanh (Son Tinh), the leader of the 'four immortals' in Vietnamese folk religion. He was also the talented son-in-law of the 18th Hung King."

Since 2005, Lang Suong Temple has been classified as a National Historical Monument by the Ministry of Culture and Information.

Turning the pages of the time-worn genealogical record, Mr. Giang Dinh Quy slowly recounted: "The ancient Lang Suong Cave was not only the birthplace of Tan Vien Son Thanh, but also the birthplace of Queen Au Co. Legend says that this is where Lac Long Quan met Au Co, and they became husband and wife, giving birth to a hundred eggs that hatched into a hundred children." According to him, along with the worship of Saint Tan Vien, Lang Suong Temple also venerates Princess Ngoc Hoa, the two generals Cao Son and Quy Minh; and the parents – those who gave birth to Saint Tan Vien – and the foster mother – who raised Saint Tan Vien. The worship of the Mother Goddess here has blended with the Vietnamese worship of Mother Goddesses such as Mother Au Co, Mother of the Earth, Mother of the Water… creating a unique spiritual and cultural identity. Every year, Lang Suong Temple holds two festivals: on the 25th of the 10th lunar month (the anniversary of the Mother Goddess's birth) and on the 15th of the 1st lunar month, the day of Saint Tan Vien's birth.

The temple is a place of worship dedicated to Princess Ngoc Hoa, two of Saint Tan's generals Cao Son and Quy Minh; and his parents – those who gave birth to Saint Tan – and his foster mother – who raised him.

The Lang Suong Temple Festival has long been a famous festival of the Tan Mountain and Da River region. Besides the sacred rituals, the festival includes many folk games close to the lives of the local people, such as throwing the "con" (a type of ball), cockfighting, and rice cooking competitions. Due to its special significance and value, on July 12, 2005, Lang Suong Temple was classified as a National Historical Monument by the Ministry of Culture and Information. Since then, the temple has undergone extensive restoration and renovation. The main temple consists of three main halls and three rear halls. In the main hall, there is an altar dedicated to the statues of Cao Son and Quy Minh, generals who helped Tan Vien defeat the enemy. The rear hall houses a dragon throne dedicated to Saint Mother Dinh Thi Den (Tan Vien's mother) and Saint Tan Vien. The rear hall also houses altars dedicated to Saint Father Tan Vien, Nguyen Cao Hanh, his foster mother Ma Thi Cao Son, and Princess Ngoc Hoa (Tan Vien's wife)...

A spiritual anchor beside Mount Tan and the Da River.

When we visited Lang Suong Temple, the most interesting thing was listening to the legend of the birth of the Holy Mother. Hearing the story, we felt it was real. So real that no one would think it was just an ancient legend tinged with fantasy. Because besides the stories and legends, Lang Suong Temple still has the "Kneeling Stone" bearing the footprints, handprints, and knee indentations of the Holy Mother when she gave birth to the Holy Mother Tan Vien.

The story of the Virgin Mary giving birth to the Saint, tinged with fantasy, is still remembered by the people.

At Lang Suong Temple, the "Quỳ stone" is still preserved, marking the moment when the Holy Mother gave birth to Saint Tan.

According to Mr. Giang Dinh Quy, the story of the Holy Mother giving birth in agonizing pain, kneeling and supporting herself with her hands, is still etched on the stone slab. Everyone believed it to be a legend because for hundreds, even thousands of generations before, no one had ever seen what the stone looked like; people only knew it was recorded in the temple's genealogical records. Yet, a miracle occurred in 2003 when, during the tree-planting festival at Lang Suong Temple, people unearthed a stone slab. On the surface of that stone, there were indentations shaped like a knee, five finger marks, and a footprint imprinted on the slab, just as described in the genealogical records. Furthermore, besides the stone slab, Lang Suong Temple still possesses relics from the legend of the Holy Mother's birth, such as the stone used to support her belly and the bathing basin, a square green stone basin. Legend says this was the basin the Mother used to hold water for bathing the Holy Mother when she was a newborn. The Thiên Thanh well still stands, where the Mother Goddess used to draw water for bathing when the Holy One was born long ago...

The Thien Thanh Well, along with artifacts steeped in legend such as the stone used to support the mother's belly and the bathing basin used by the Holy Mother after childbirth, still vividly remain.

All those artifacts, having survived through countless ups and downs, still exist vividly today. These artifacts affirm that this is truly the birthplace of a sacred land... Beyond its historical and cultural value, the Lang Suong Temple is also a uniquely designed temple situated on a vast, sacred site dating back thousands of years. This has become a spiritual anchor for the local people. During times of natural disasters, droughts, or epidemics, villagers come to the temple to light incense and pray, entrusting their faith to the sacred spirits for protection. And strangely enough, their prayers are often answered, as if by a communion between humans and the divine...

For the local people, Lang Suong Temple has become a spiritual anchor, a place where they entrust their faith in the sacred blessings of the deities.

Returning from Lang Suong Temple, I carry with me a deeper belief than ever in the power of tradition, in the roots of national culture, where "deities" are not mere illusions but spiritual symbols representing humanistic aspirations, justice, and national unity. Lang Suong Temple is not only a spiritual tourist destination, but also a historical landmark, preserving the origins of the Vietnamese people amidst the thousand-year-old rivers and mountains.

Manh Hung

Source: https://baophutho.vn/lang-suong-huyen-tich-ve-noi-dat-thieng-sinh-thanh-236717.htm