NGHE AN-Choong Temple in Quy Hop district worships Nang Phom Hom - a person who helped Lam Son insurgents fight the enemy and preserved many cultural values of the highland people of Nghe An.
Choong Temple is located on Pu Den raspberry-shaped hill, in Choong village, Chau Ly commune, Quy Hop district. The temple is located in a prime location, from the top of the hill you can observe all the villages, below is the Nam Choong river flowing downstream, the large land in front of the monument is where people from all over often come to exchange goods. , see the game's performance...
Choong Temple was ranked as a provincial-level historical and cultural relic by the People's Committee of Nghe An province in 2015.
Choong Temple worships Nang Phom Hom, which in Thai means "fragrant hair lady". The statue of Phom Hom is cast in bronze in the shape of a Thai woman in traditional clothes, wearing a scarf on her head, a shirt with two rows of buttons in the middle, and a skirt engraved with patterns, located in the upper palace.
Legend has it that Phom Hom is the smartest and most beautiful Thai girl in Muong Choong. Her hair always smells of wild flowers, bringing luck and joy wherever she goes.
In 1425, while working with Le Loi against the Ming army in western Nghe An, a talented general of the Lam Son insurgent army fell in love and swore to marry Phom Hom. Phom Hom was trusted to be responsible for collecting food to feed the army. Every day she went to each house to guide people in the area to grow a lot of rice, grow silk and weave fabric to serve the long-term resistance war. Thanks to the help of the "fragrant hair girl" and the villagers, the Lam Son insurgent army continuously won victories, liberating the vast Hoan Chau region.
When love with the general was blossoming, disaster struck. One afternoon, Phom Hom went to the Nam Choong River to wash his hair. Unfortunately, he slipped and fell and was swept away by the fierce current. Upon receiving the news, the general immediately returned and ordered his soldiers to dig up soil and rocks to pile up mountains to look for his lover, but could not find him. Feeling sorry for the "fragrant hair girl", people in the area built a temple on the hill of land that Lam Son insurgents searched day and night.
After nearly 600 years of existence, Choong Temple was destroyed, only the stones left behind the pillars. There are only 16 stones left of the ancient temple, which were zoned by the authorities and placed in a corner of the relic's grounds for worship.
In 2013, Choong temple was renovated and restored on the old foundation on a campus of more than 9 hectares in Choong village, Chau Ly commune. The project includes items such as the upper palace, lower palace, left vu, right vu houses, three-entrance gate...
The central hall is built of bricks, located at the first entrance, with an incense burner in front, surrounded by trees, creating a cool space.
Inside the central hall is the worship space. On the full moon day, first day and Tet holiday, people in Quy Hop district and surrounding areas often bring offerings to the temple to offer incense, worship, and pray for luck in life.
At Choong Temple, many antiques and musical instruments such as gongs are preserved, associated with the cultural life of the highland people of Nghe An.
To get up and down the palace buildings, visitors must move through many stairs.
Previously, the upper palace had a 3-compartment structure, made of ironwood, the columns inside were carved with stylized images of flanking dragons, the upper roof was thatched, surrounded by sturdy boards. After being restored, the building has red tile roofs, brick walls, and the main doors are still made of wood.
On the roofs of the palaces are dragons.
“The story of Phom Hom helps people understand more about the merits of ancient ancestors. Every time I go to the temple to offer incense, I feel relaxed and at ease," said the Queen Mother, a tourist from Vinh City.
Every year, Choong Temple has main ceremonies including: Luc Ngot Festival held on the full moon day of June; The year-opening ceremony takes place throughout January and the year-end thanksgiving ceremony takes place on December 6-25. Every year the relic attracts thousands of tourists to offer incense, sightsee, and study historical and cultural values.
