Visiting the temple of Grand Tutor Hoang Quoc Cong Dao Duy Tu to pay respects.

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - The temple dedicated to Grand Tutor Hoang Quoc Cong Dao Duy Tu is located in Son Thang residential area, Dao Duy Tu ward. This is a national historical relic that is preserved and promoted by the Party committee, government, and local people, becoming a spiritual center for the people.

The temple dedicated to Dao Duy Tu has been renovated and restored to a magnificent state.

Dao Duy Tu, whose courtesy name was Loc Khe (born in 1572), was from Hoa Trai village, Ngoc Son district, Thanh Hoa province (now Son Thang residential area, Dao Duy Tu ward, Thanh Hoa province). As a child, he was known for his intelligence and academic excellence, but he was consistently disqualified from the Le Dynasty's provincial examinations because he came from a family of performers. In 1625, Dao Duy Tu left his hometown to live and build his career in Tung Chau, Bong Son district, Hoai Nhon prefecture, Binh Dinh province (now Hoai Nhon ward, Gia Lai province).

During his service to the Nguyen lords, Dao Duy Tu made many important contributions in the fields of economics, military, politics , and literature and art, and was considered a talent who "governed the country and unified society." He passed away in 1634 at the age of 63. After his death, Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen bestowed upon him the title of "Merit and Virtuous Confidant," and he was buried in Tung Chau, Hoai Nhon prefecture (now Hoai Nhon ward, Gia Lai province). In the 9th year of Gia Long's reign, he was worshipped at the Temple of Founding National Heroes.

In the 12th year of Minh Mạng's reign (1831), Đào Duy Từ was posthumously bestowed the titles of "Founding National Hero, Special Envoy, Grand Scholar, Grand Tutor of the Eastern Pavilion," and granted the title of Hoằng Quốc Công. In 1939, Emperor Bảo Đại posthumously honored him as "Founding National Hero, Special Envoy, Grand Scholar of the Eastern Pavilion, Grand Tutor, Hoằng Quốc Công, and Supreme Deity"; he instructed the villagers of Nổ Giáp to bring a palanquin to Văn Trai station to receive the imperial decree and to erect a temple in his hometown. The temple dedicated to Đào Duy Từ is a 19th-century architectural structure with three wooden rooms, tiled roofs, and enclosed gable walls.

Having endured numerous historical events, the temple dedicated to Grand Tutor Hoang Quoc Cong Dao Duy Tu had fallen into disrepair. Thanks to the attention of the State and the support of philanthropists and local people, from 2018 to December 2023, the Dao Duy Tu temple underwent restoration and renovation with various components, including the main temple, the ceremonial gate, the left and right side buildings, the drum tower, the gong tower, the electrical and water systems, and the surrounding fence. Currently, the renovated and restored site is spacious and well-maintained, fulfilling the wishes of the people both within and outside the ward. Every year, the Dao Duy Tu temple welcomes thousands of visitors who come to admire the scenery, offer incense, and pray for blessings and peace.

Proud of their homeland's national historical relics, over the years, the Party Committee, government, and people of Dao Duy Tu ward have always strived to protect, preserve, and promote the values ​​of these relics through practical actions, such as: participating in the protection and contributing labor and resources to beautify the relic grounds; cleaning the environment around the relics; respectfully offering incense on the first day of the month and on the full moon day... Every year, on the anniversary of his death, Dao Duy Tu ward organizes a festival to remember and honor his great contributions and to educate the younger generation about revolutionary traditions.

Mr. Le Van Binh, a resident of Dao Duy Tu ward, said: "The Dao Duy Tu Temple historical site is a source of pride for the people in and outside the ward. Over the years, recognizing my responsibility in preserving and promoting the values ​​of the site, I have actively contributed my efforts and resources alongside the government and the people to restore and renovate the site. At the same time, I have encouraged my descendants to actively participate in protecting the site. Now, seeing the site restored and renovated so beautifully, I and everyone in the ward are very happy. In the future, I will continue to work with the people in the ward to take practical actions to protect the site."

“With its profound historical and cultural values, in 2002, the Dao Duy Tu Temple was classified as a national historical relic. In December 2021, the Dao Duy Tu Temple was recognized as a provincial-level tourist destination. This is an important condition for the ward to develop spiritual tourism. To continue preserving and promoting the value of the relic, the ward will strengthen management and prevent damage to the relic. Attention will be paid to educating the younger generation in the ward about the value of cultural heritage so that they develop an awareness of respect and appropriate behavior to protect the relic. We will continue to renovate and beautify the Dao Duy Tu Temple to make it even more magnificent, befitting its status as a national historical relic,” said Mr. Le Duy Trung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dao Duy Tu Ward.

Text and photos: Xuan Nguyen

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/tham-den-tho-thai-su-hoang-quoc-cong-dao-duy-tu-tuong-nho-nbsp-kinh-bang-hoa-quoc-thong-nhat-xa-thu-258392.htm