Thất Phủ Ancient Temple - A symbol of the cultural exchange between Vietnam and China

Religious beliefs in the new land of Southern Vietnam

Thất Phủ Ancient Temple, originally named Vọng Hải Quan Đế Temple, also known as Quan Đế Temple, and sometimes called Ông Temple by locals, is located in Cù Lao Phố, now Trấn Biên Ward, Đồng Nai Province.

According to historical records, Ong Pagoda was built in 1684, just five years after General Tran Thuong Xuyen led a group of over 3,000 Chinese people on 50 boats to Dang Trong (southern Vietnam) to pledge allegiance and was granted permission to settle there by Lord Nguyen Phuoc Tan.

Electricity bill for Thất Phủ Ancient Temple.

In this new land, the Chinese and Vietnamese communities reclaimed and developed the barren land at Cu Lao Pho, forming Nong Nai Dai Pho (with docks, boats, and tall buildings lining both sides of the river, and convenient roads running horizontally and vertically), developing the economy and trading with many merchant ships from countries at that time such as China, Japan, Portugal, and Malaysia... Cu Lao Pho became Nong Nai Dai Pho - one of the most bustling trading ports in the South in the late 17th and the first half of the 18th centuries.

According to Vietnamese tradition, after reclaiming land and establishing a village, the Vietnamese often built a communal house to worship their ancestors and as a common cultural and spiritual center for the entire community. Similarly, after settling down, the Chinese built a Guan Di Temple to worship Guan Sheng Di Jun – a deity symbolizing loyalty, integrity, and righteousness – to maintain their homeland's beliefs and to express their aspirations for integration and long-term stability.

More than just a place of worship, the Thất Phủ Ancient Temple has also been a cultural center for the Chinese community from the 17th century to the present day. During the Quan Thánh Đế Quân festival, thousands of Vietnamese and Chinese people gather to make pilgrimages, offer incense, pray for peace, and participate in lion dances, traditional opera performances, and palanquin processions. This festival not only holds religious value but also demonstrates the spirit of unity and the shared preservation of traditional cultural values within the community.

Vietnamese-Chinese cultural exchange

Ong Pagoda has become a place of worship for both Chinese and Vietnamese people. The cultural and religious influences of the Chinese and Vietnamese are clearly evident at Ong Pagoda. Vietnamese people often come to light incense and worship there, considering it a place to entrust their faith in the spiritual world . Vietnamese people also worship Quan Thanh De Quan, whose five virtues exemplify the standards of cultural conduct: loyalty, righteousness, benevolence, trustworthiness, and courage.

The roof of Ong Pagoda is decorated with ceramic symbols of the Plum Blossom Tree, produced in the late 19th century. At the top is a complex depicting theatrical performances, court dances and songs, and a vibrant scene of a Chinese festival.

The Chinese equivalent of Guan Yu, the God of War, is identified with the image of loyalty and integrity in Confucian culture, which aligns with the moral values of the Vietnamese people. This compatibility has helped Chinese religion and beliefs easily integrate into the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people in Southern Vietnam.

According to Mr. Tran Quang Toai, a member of the Advisory Board of That Phu Ancient Temple, after more than 340 years, That Phu Ancient Temple has maintained its traditional architecture as a religious site for the Chinese community. The main building materials are Buu Long blue stone, ceramics, bricks, and yin-yang tile roofs. The layout follows the "inner courtyard, outer country" style, consisting of interconnected sections such as the Front Hall, Middle Hall, and Rear Hall, symmetrically flanked by the Left and Right side halls. The temple roof is decorated with a collection of ceramic symbols depicting plum blossoms, portraying court plays, dances, and lively scenes of Chinese festivals.

The boat-shaped structure – often called the ceremonial gate – is a wooden carving brought from its homeland in China to Ong Pagoda in the year of Quang Tu Giap Ngo (1894).

Inside, the system of horizontal plaques, couplets, statues, incense burners, and ancient ceramics is still preserved intact. Many horizontal plaques are written in Chinese characters praising the virtues of Quan Thánh (Guan Sheng) and the spirit of loyalty and righteousness. The worship layout includes the main hall dedicated to Quan Thánh Đế Quân (Guan Sheng Emperor), flanked by halls dedicated to Thiên Hậu Thánh Mẫu (Goddess of Heaven), Phúc Đức Chính Thần (God of Fortune and Virtue), and Bổn Đầu Công (the Head of the Temple), reflecting a harmonious blend of Chinese and Vietnamese beliefs.

Every year, the Quan Thanh De Quan festival (24th day of the 6th lunar month) is celebrated solemnly with rituals, lion and dragon dances, and a procession of Quan Cong's palanquin, attracting a large number of Chinese, Vietnamese, and tourists, affirming Ong Pagoda as a typical cultural and spiritual space representing the intersection between the two communities.

Mr. Thai Huu Nghia, Head of the Management Board of That Phu Ancient Temple, also known as Ong Temple, formerly located in Binh Hoanh village, Tran Bien district, Gia Dinh prefecture (now Tran Bien ward, Dong Nai province), is one of the typical relics associated with the history of the formation and development of the Chinese community in Southern Vietnam.

Preserving and promoting the value of historical relics.

In the context of rapid urbanization in Dong Nai province, the preservation and promotion of the value of the Thất Phủ Ancient Temple is an urgent requirement. The site has undergone several restorations, but it still faces the risk of deterioration, especially the wooden details, statues, and the system of ancient horizontal and vertical inscriptions.

A unique feature that creates the vibrant atmosphere of the annual Ong Pagoda Festival is the processions on land and on the river.

For long-term preservation, a comprehensive conservation approach incorporating digital technology is necessary, including: digitizing Sino-Vietnamese documents, creating 3D architectural profiles, and reconstructing festival rituals using virtual reality technology. Simultaneously, landscape enhancement and the development of cultural and spiritual tourism should be carried out systematically. The Thất Phủ Ancient Temple could become a highlight in the "Cù Lao Phố – Thất Phủ Ancient Temple – Bình Trước Temple – Long Sơn Thạch Động Pagoda" tourist route, thereby forming a unique tourism product for Đồng Nai.

Mr. Le Tri Dung, a member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Association and former Director of the Dong Nai Provincial Relics and Scenic Spots Management Board, stated that the Chinese community in Bien Hoa, Dong Nai, with its many unique cultural heritages, contributes to the cultural identity of Dong Nai. Among them, Cu Lao Pho, where the port known as Nong Nai Dai Pho was formed, was the most bustling port in Southern Vietnam at that time.

Furthermore, at Ong Pagoda, in addition to culture and religious beliefs, architecture is also clearly present in the layout and decoration of the pagoda, such as the famous Bien Hoa ceramics and Buu Long blue stone products, renowned both domestically and internationally.

To participate in the procession through the streets, members of the associations will wear uniforms and costumes, performing flute music, folk dances, lion and dragon dances, martial arts, and traditional theater.

Thất Phủ Ancient Temple is a cultural center that served as a hub for both the Chinese and Vietnamese communities in Southern Vietnam, and was the site of the most intense Vietnamese-Chinese cultural exchange in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is a historical site bearing witness to the early stages of the nation's territorial expansion in the South. Over 340 years, the temple has undergone some changes due to the cultural exchange between Vietnam and China, but the basic architectural features, colors, and layout, reflecting the distinctive Chinese culture, have been preserved.

In 2001, the Thất Phủ Ancient Temple (Ông Temple) was classified as a National Historical and Cultural Monument by the Ministry of Culture and Information. In 2023, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized the traditional Ông Temple Festival as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. The cultural and humanistic values are clearly demonstrated in the Ông Temple Festival in Biên Hòa, held at the Ông Temple worship site in Cù Lao Phố (also known as Thất Phủ Ancient Temple, built in 1684 and recognized as a National Monument), and maintained for over 340 years. The festival is a regional festival, voluntarily performed by the Chinese and Vietnamese people of the Southern region, continuously from the time of land reclamation to the present day. While it has developed and transformed culturally, it still retains its unique characteristics within the general features of a folk festival.
The festival is also linked to folk customs, traditions, and beliefs in Southern Vietnam within the context of Vietnamese-Chinese cultural relations, clearly demonstrating the Vietnamese cultural identity that integrates diverse sources and harmonizes multiple systems. It serves as a bridge for cultural exchange, crystallizing and spreading cultural influences both within and outside the region, and possesses vitality in international integration.
Another important approach is heritage preservation, which means integrating the preservation of historical sites with community life. The management boards of temples and Chinese community halls should be encouraged to organize activities to teach rituals, Chinese characters, calligraphy, lion dance, and traditional opera to young people. This will not only help the younger generation understand and be proud of their heritage, but also maintain the enduring vitality of the culture.

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/that-phu-co-mieu-bieu-tuong-giao-thoa-van-hoa-viet-hoa-5ea7e156.html