The 'soul keeper' of the village communal house

Continuing the family tradition

During the days of the Ky Yen Festival at Tan Chanh communal house, people who come to worship at the communal house often see the image of Mr. Nam (Mr. Luong Thanh Long) busy going back and forth taking care of foreign and domestic affairs for the festival. He is the third generation in his family to contribute his efforts and money to preserve the traditional culture of the locality.

Mr. Nam said: “During the war, the communal house was burned down. My grandfather took the royal decree and sent it to an acquaintance's house, then mobilized people to rebuild the communal house. My father - Mr. Luong Thanh Ba - took on the job of maintaining and organizing the communal house worship, while I went to Ninh Thuan to start a business as a shrimp breeder, but later when my father's health declined, he wanted me to return to my hometown to continue his work. Continuing the family tradition, I arranged my work for the first 6 months of the year to serve the communal house, and for the last 6 months of the year, I returned to Ninh Thuan to take care of business.”

The rituals of the Ky Yen festival in Tan Chanh communal house (Can Duoc district) are all performed meticulously, solemnly and solemnly through many generations.

Born and raised in a family with a tradition of "keeping the soul" of the village communal house, Mr. Nam knows the communal house worship rituals by heart. Thanks to that, he was elected by the elders as the Head of the Tan Chanh Communal Incense Association. Although it is a small position related to spiritual activities, he always worries and tries to do his job well.

Faced with the deterioration of the communal house and tomb of Xuan Quang Marquis - Nguyen Khac Tuan, he made recommendations to all levels and sectors; at the same time, he mobilized relatives and people to join hands and contribute money and labor to restore and build the communal house. With enthusiasm and dedication, up to now, the communal house has been built spaciously, cleanly and beautifully and in 2012 was recognized as a provincial historical relic.

Transmitting cultural values

Tan Chanh Communal House is one of the earliest village cultural institutions in Can Duoc district, established in the late 19th century. The communal house worships the local tutelary god, symbolizing the sacredness of a land.

Later, the people worshiped Xuan Quang Hau - Nguyen Khac Tuan and put him in the communal house to worship as the second Thanh Hoang god of the village. Over time, in the people's minds, the name of the communal house was integrated with his name: Dinh Than Nguyen Khac Tuan - Tan Chanh. Currently, the communal house still retains 176 royal decrees and 3 edicts issued by King Gia Long and King Minh Mang.

Mr. Luong Thanh Long is the third generation in his family to always be dedicated to preserving the culture of Tan Chanh communal house.

The Ky Yen Communal House Festival takes place from the 4th to the 6th of February (Lunar calendar) every year. Also on the 5th and 6th, people hold a Cat Ky ceremony (death anniversary) for Xuan Quang Marquis - Nguyen Khac Tuan. Compared to other communal houses, Tan Chanh communal house still retains all the Southern communal house worship rituals.

Dr. Do Thi Ha Tho - lecturer at Can Tho University, said: "This is the second year I have been fortunate to attend the Tan Chanh Communal House Festival. Almost all the ceremonies were performed very carefully and solemnly by the Communal House Association, preserving the ancient Southern Vietnamese village culture. To do this, Mr. Nam said in particular, the members of the Communal House Association played a very important role because without people who understand the rituals, the ceremonies would not be fully preserved, helping young people to absorb and pass on the culture of their village."

Tan Chanh communal house still preserves 176 royal decrees and 3 edicts of King Gia Long and King Minh Mang.

For Tan Chanh people in particular and Can Duoc people in general, participating in the Ky Yen festival has become an indispensable part of folk cultural and religious activities. Visiting the communal house also means returning to our homeland, helping us understand the history and culture of the land where we were born and raised.

Mr. Le Trung Toan (Tan Chanh commune, Can Duoc district) shared: “I work and live in Ho Chi Minh City. Every year, my family and I return to the temple to worship. This is a tradition and a cultural feature of my hometown. I am very proud of my hometown.”

Through the vicissitudes of history, Mr. Nam's family has remained steadfast, silently devoting all their heart and soul to "preserving the soul" of the village communal house culture. Hopefully, in the coming time, this "flame" of passion will continue to spread to many people, contributing to the longevity of folk culture./.

Minh Thu

Source: https://baolongan.vn/nguoi-giu-hon-dinh-lang-a193846.html