That Phu Ancient Temple - Symbol of Vietnamese

Beliefs in the new land of the South

That Phu ancient temple, originally called Vong Hai Quan De temple, also known as Quan De temple, is also known as Ong Pagoda by local people, located in Cu Lao Pho, now Tran Bien ward, Dong Nai province.

According to historical records, Ong Pagoda was built in 1684, just 5 years after General Tran Thuong Xuyen led a group of more than 3,000 Chinese people on 50 boats to Dang Trong, Vietnam, to submit and was allowed to settle here by Lord Nguyen Phuoc Tan.

Front hall of the ancient That Phu temple.

On the new land, the Chinese community and the Vietnamese reclaimed and expanded the wasteland in Cu Lao Pho, forming Nong Nai Dai Pho (on the wharf, under the boat, high-rise buildings close together on both sides of the river, convenient horizontal and vertical roads) to develop the economy , trade with many merchant ships of that time such as China, Japan, Portugal, Malaysia... Cu Lao Pho became Nong Nai Dai Pho - the busiest commercial port in the South in the late 17th century and the first half of the 18th century.

According to Vietnamese tradition, after reclaiming land to establish a village and stabilizing their lives, Vietnamese people often build a communal house to worship their ancestors and also to serve as a place for common cultural and spiritual activities of the whole community. Similar to the Vietnamese, after a period of stabilizing their lives, the Chinese built Quan De Temple to worship Quan Thanh De Quan - the god symbolizing loyalty, trust and integrity - to maintain their homeland beliefs, while also expressing their aspirations for integration and long-term stability.

Not only a place of worship, That Phu Co Mieu is also the center of cultural activities of the Chinese community from the 17th century to the present. Every time the Quan Thanh De Quan festival takes place, thousands of Vietnamese and Chinese people gather together to make a pilgrimage, burn incense to pray for peace, organize lion dances - opera - processions. This festival not only has religious values but also demonstrates the spirit of solidarity, together preserving the beauty of traditional culture 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 exchanges between Chinese and Vietnamese people are clearly shown at Ong Pagoda. At Ong Pagoda, Vietnamese people often come to burn incense and worship, considering it a place to place their faith in the spiritual world . Vietnamese people also worship Quan Thanh De Quan with 5 virtues that represent cultural standards of behavior: loyalty, righteousness, humanity, trust, and bravery.

The roof of Ong Pagoda is decorated with a ceramic symbol of Mai Tree, produced in the late 19th century. On top is a complex depicting plays, royal dances, and lively scenes of Chinese festivals.

The Chinese Quan Thanh De Quan is identified with the image of loyalty and integrity in Confucian culture, similar to the moral values of the Vietnamese people. It is this compatibility that helps the religion and beliefs of the Chinese people easily integrate into the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people in the South.

Mr. Tran Quang Toai, Advisory Board of That Phu Co Mieu, said that after more than 340 years, That Phu Co Mieu still retains the traditional architectural style of the Chinese religious foundation, the main construction materials are Buu Long green stone, ceramics, bricks, and yin-yang tiled roofs. The layout is in the style of internal public and external public, including items such as the Front Hall, Central Hall, and Rear Hall connected together, symmetrically on both sides are the Ta Ban and Huu Ban houses. The roof of the temple is decorated with a group of Mai Tree ceramic symbols, depicting plays, royal dances, and lively festival scenes of the Chinese.

The boat tower - commonly known as Nghi Mon - is a wooden carving brought from China to Ong Pagoda in the Quang Tu Giap Ngo year (1894).

Inside, the system of horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences, worship statues, incense burners, and ancient ceramics are still preserved intact, many horizontal lacquered boards written in Chinese characters praising the virtues of Quan Thanh and the spirit of loyalty. The worship layout includes the main room worshiping Quan Thanh De Quan, on both sides worshiping Thien Hau Thanh Mau, Phuc Duc Chinh Than and Bon Dau Cong, demonstrating the harmony of Chinese and Vietnamese beliefs.

Every year, the Quan Thanh De Quan festival (June 24th of the lunar calendar) is solemnly held with sacrificial rituals, lion and dragon dances, and Quan Cong palanquin procession, attracting a large number of Chinese, Vietnamese and tourists, affirming that Ong Pagoda is a cultural and spiritual space representing the exchange between the two communities.

Mr. Thai Huu Nghia - Head of the Board of Directors of That Phu Ancient Temple said: That Phu Ancient Temple, also known as Ong Pagoda by the people, in Binh Hoanh village, Tran Bien palace, Gia Dinh district, now Tran Bien ward, Dong Nai province, is one of the typical relics associated with the history of formation and development of the Chinese community in the South.

Preserve and promote the value of relics

In the context of rapid urbanization in Dong Nai province, the work of preserving and promoting the value of That Phu Co Mieu is an urgent requirement. The relic has undergone many restorations, but is still at risk of deterioration, especially the wooden details, statues and the system of ancient horizontal lacquered boards and parallel sentences.

The unique feature that creates the jubilant atmosphere of the annual Ong Pagoda Festival is the processions on the road and on the river.

For long-term preservation, it is necessary to implement comprehensive conservation associated with the application of digital technology, including: digitizing Han Nom documents, creating 3D architectural profiles, and recreating festival rituals using virtual reality technology. At the same time, landscape restoration and cultural and spiritual tourism development need to be carried out systematically. That Phu Co Mieu can become a highlight in the tourist route "Cu Lao Pho - That Phu Co Mieu - Binh Truoc communal house - Long Son Thach Dong pagoda", thereby forming a unique tourism product of Dong Nai.

Mr. Le Tri Dung - Member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Association - Former Director of the Management Board of Monuments and Landscapes of Dong Nai province said that the Chinese community in Bien Hoa, Dong Nai with many unique cultural heritages contributed to the cultural identity of Dong Nai. In particular, Cu Lao Pho where the port called Nong Nai Dai Pho was formed was the busiest port at that time in the South.

In addition, at Ong Pagoda, in addition to culture and beliefs, architecture is also clearly present in the arrangement and decoration present in the pagoda such as Bien Hoa ceramic products and Buu Long green stone which are very famous in the country and the world.

To participate in the procession moving through the streets, members of the guilds will wear uniforms, disguise themselves, and perform flute playing, folk dances, lion-dragon dances, martial arts, opera, etc.

That Phu ancient temple is a cultural center of the Chinese and Vietnamese people in the South, where the Vietnamese-Chinese cultural exchange was strongest in the 17th - 18th centuries. It is a relic that demonstrates the early history of the exploitation of the southern land of the country. After more than 340 years, the temple has integrated, showing that the Vietnamese-Chinese cultural exchange has changed some features, but the basic architectural lines, colors, and layout, creating Chinese cultural characteristics are still preserved.

In 2001, That Phu Co Mieu (Ong Pagoda) was ranked as a National Historical - Cultural Relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information. By 2023, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized the traditional Ong Pagoda Festival as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Cultural and humanistic values are clearly demonstrated in the Bien Hoa Ong Pagoda Festival held at the Ong Pagoda worshiping facility in Cu Lao Pho (also known as That Phu Co Mieu, built in 1684, recognized as a National Relic), which has been maintained for over 340 years. The festival is a regional festival, voluntarily performed by the Chinese - Vietnamese people in the Southern region, continuously since the land opening period until now, with cultural development and change but still retaining its own nuances in the general characteristics of folk festivals.
The festival is also associated with the customs, practices, and folk beliefs in the South in the Vietnam - China cultural relationship, clearly demonstrating the Vietnamese cultural identity integrating multiple sources and harmonizing multiple systems. It is a bridge of cultural exchange, crystallizing and spreading within the region and outside the region, with vitality in international integration.
Another important direction is heritage conservation, which means linking the work of preserving relics with community life. The Management Board of Chinese temples and Assembly Halls should be encouraged to organize activities to teach rituals, Chinese characters, calligraphy, and the art of lion dance and opera to young people. This will not only help the younger generation understand and be proud of the heritage, but also maintain sustainable cultural vitality.

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