Today, Lychee Garden

Le Chi Vien Temple is located in Dai Lai village, Dai Lai commune, Gia Binh district, on the Duong River ( Bac Ninh province). Photo: THANH CHUNG

Emotions surge

"My hometown has a Lychee Garden / Ancient events passed down by our ancestors / The lychee garden still holds lingering resentment / Con Son's blood flows endlessly, a source of injustice..."

These are verses about Le Chi Vien, the "garden of blood" by the Duong River, a tributary of Luc Dau Giang. Nearly 600 years ago, a wrongful conviction occurred here, leading to the extermination of the family of the national hero and world cultural figure Nguyen Trai.

To find this historical site in Dai Lai village, Dai Lai commune, Gia Binh district (Bac Ninh province), after passing the Le Chi Vien monument and the temple gate, you will see a complete inscription of the "Great Proclamation on the Pacification of the Ngo" carved on a large stele right in front of the entrance.

A villager visits the Le Chi Vien monument in front of the Le Chi Vien temple gate. Photo: THANH CHUNG

Legend has it that Le Chi Vien was originally a riverside textile farm belonging to Mr. Diem Chi, which was later confiscated and used as a resting place for the king and officials when touring the Kinh Bac and Northeast regions.

Not only was Le Chi Vien a resting place for the Le Dynasty kings, it also held special military significance, utilized by the Le kings as a garrison and patrol post. Le Chi Vien entered history because it is associated with the heinous and unjust tragedy that befell the Nguyen Trai family.

Every day, many people from the area come here to commemorate Nguyen Trai. As he recounted the history of Le Chi Vien Temple, Mr. Nguyen Van Vinh, the temple caretaker, was still overcome with emotion by the stories and anecdotes related to the tragic incident of the past.

In front of Le Chi Vien Temple stands the "Great Proclamation on the Pacification of the Wu" fully inscribed on a large stele. Photo: THANH CHUNG

Sacred space

The Le Chi Vien Temple complex in Gia Binh district (Bac Ninh province) has undergone many changes. The temple is now more beautiful and spacious, with improved religious artifacts, horizontal plaques, couplets, statues, and stone steles. In particular, the value of this site is further affirmed by the addition of valuable documents and artifacts. The temple also contains many poems and writings by politicians and poets about Le Chi Vien, full of emotion.

To the right of the temple, the majestic stone statues of Nguyen Trai and Nguyen Thi Lo stand tall, their pedestals exceeding 1.4 meters. The statue is 1.68 meters tall. Behind it is the Thien Thai mountain range, shaped like a winding dragon, and to the left is the Duong River, formerly a vital transportation route in the region. In the distance ahead is Con Son, the maternal hometown of Nguyen Trai.

To the right of Le Chi Vien Temple are two stone statues of national hero Nguyen Trai and his wife. Photo: THANH CHUNG

To the left of the temple, opposite the statue of Nguyen Trai and his wife, is a bas-relief in the shape of a "teardrop," carved from red granite and placed on an open book, symbolizing knowledge. The base consists of three concentric circles forming a tier, representing the sky and the profound harmony between heaven, earth, and humanity, while also implying the extermination of three families. The square pillar supporting the book symbolizes the sky, according to ancient Eastern beliefs. The statue resembles a teardrop falling on the book. Mr. Vinh, the caretaker of Le Chi Vien Temple, recounts that this teardrop symbolizes the tears of people from all corners of the land weeping for the injustice suffered by Nguyen Trai's family, an injustice that shook heaven and earth.

Today, Le Chi Vien Temple still stands beside the Duong River, a tributary of Luc Dau Giang. Through the centuries, Le Chi Vien Temple, along with many other relics along the Luc Dau Giang River, has survived, bearing witness to many joyful and sorrowful events in the nation's history.

Mr. Nguyen Van Vinh, the caretaker of Le Chi Vien Temple, enthusiastically reads the inscription on the stele commemorating Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lo. Photo: THANH CHUNG

On the 27th day of the 7th lunar month of 1442, King Thái Tông toured the eastern region, reviewing troops at Chí Linh citadel. Nguyễn Trãi invited the king to stay at Côn Sơn pagoda. On the 4th day of the 8th lunar month, the king went to Lệ Chi Viên (lychee garden) for a stroll and unexpectedly passed away.
Nguyễn Trãi and his wife, Nguyễn Thị Lộ, were arrested on suspicion of plotting to assassinate the king. On the 12th day of the 8th lunar month of 1442, the court enthroned the two-year-old Crown Prince Bang Cơ. On the 16th day of the 8th lunar month, the court convicted Nguyễn Trãi of regicide and sentenced him and his entire family to "extermination."
Twenty-two years after the incident, King Le Thanh Tong issued a decree exonerating Nguyen Trai.

SNOWFALL

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/le-chi-vien-hom-nay-375891.html