Tracing the origins of Saint Nguyen

The Saint in the People's Mind

Mr. Nguyen Van Thinh, a resident of Van La village, Gia Thang commune, arrived early at the Duc Thanh Nguyen temple to welcome us. Upon learning the purpose of the meeting, Mr. Thinh was delighted and extremely excited to share about the Zen master whose life has become legendary, revered by the people as a saint: Duc Thanh Nguyen - Zen Master Nguyen Minh Khong.

Born, raised, and matured in the village of Gia Thang, Mr. Nguyen Van Thinh's childhood memories are intertwined with legends and stories about the illustrious Zen master, sorcerer, pharmacist, and national master, because his family, from his ancestors' time, had been connected to the sacred temple.

In his stories about the Zen master, Mr. Thinh often uses poems to illustrate his narratives. He knows many poems and stories by heart, and remembers every precious artifact still preserved in the temple, such as the triple gate, the bell tower, and the portrait of Saint Nguyen... He says that for him and many local people, these artifacts, preserved to this day, are considered precious treasures that are always cherished, preserved, and respected to remember the saint's contributions in the hearts of the people.

Tracing the origins of Saint Nguyen — National Architectural and Artistic Monument - Duc Thanh Nguyen Temple.

For decades, scientists returning to the area have sought out Mr. Thinh for information and materials for their research. Not considering himself someone with extensive knowledge of Zen Master Nguyen Minh Khong, Mr. Thinh shared that he is simply one of the people living in the birthplace of the Venerable Nguyen Minh Khong. With pride and respect for the glorious achievements of the Zen Master, he is always conscious of preserving the unique and meaningful traditional cultural values of the National Architectural and Artistic Monument and wishes to introduce to the people and tourists the person who made a great contribution to the nation's history, and who is popularly regarded as one of the four immortal saints.

Along with local people participating in planting and caring for the medicinal herb garden at Duc Thanh Nguyen Temple, Mr. Vu Van Chu, Chairman of the Traditional Medicine Association of Gia Vien District, said: In folk legends, Nguyen Minh Khong is a mythical figure, appearing with many mysterious details… But the fact that historical records acknowledge him as a famous physician who cured diseases with traditional medicine has been passed down to this day.

According to historical records, Zen Master Nguyen Minh Khong personally cultivated an entire forest of medicinal herbs with countless precious plants. He practiced Buddhism while simultaneously dispensing medicine to help people, serving as both a Zen master and a renowned physician. He also taught the people how to cultivate crops in the semi-mountainous region, taught them fishing techniques, and most importantly, passed on the skills of growing many precious medicinal plants and how to process, prepare, and diagnose illnesses.

Over the years, the Gia Vien District Traditional Medicine Association has collaborated with the health stations in the district's communes and towns to effectively develop and maintain medicinal herb gardens with 9 essential groups of medicinal plants, including the introduction of several valuable and indigenous medicinal plants. They have also encouraged people to improve their neglected gardens and actively cultivate familiar medicinal plants to treat common colds and other ailments. To commemorate and express gratitude for the great contributions of Zen Master Nguyen Minh Khong, since the beginning of 2024, Gia Vien district has undertaken the renovation of the Duc Thanh Nguyen temple area and the construction of the "Nguyen Minh Khong Medicinal Herb Garden" to preserve and develop indigenous herbs in conjunction with experiential tourism in the district.

In the hometown of Zen Master Nguyen Minh Khong (formerly Dam Xa village, Dai Hoang district, now Gia Tien and Gia Thang communes, Gia Vien district), despite the many historical ups and downs, the deep affection and gratitude of the local people for the Zen Master's contributions have always been cherished and remembered by generations. The Duc Thanh Nguyen Temple was built on the foundation of an ancient pagoda called Vien Quang Tu, which Nguyen Minh Khong established in 1121 for his practice and to help people. After Nguyen Minh Khong's death, the people of Dam Xa transformed that pagoda into a temple dedicated to him. For over 900 years, the temple has been continuously cared for, restored, and protected. In particular, the Duc Thanh Nguyen Temple festival, held from the 8th to the 10th of March in the lunar calendar each year, is an occasion for the local people to pay tribute to Duc Thanh Nguyen.

In Ninh Binh and many other localities throughout the country, there are relics dedicated to the worship of Zen Master Nguyen Minh Khong, serving as evidence of a cultural and historical figure from Ninh Binh who had a significant influence on the nation's history and culture. This also reflects pride in the traditions of the homeland, reminding and educating generations of Ninh Binh people about a land of rich cultural heritage.

Towards National Intangible Cultural Heritage

From March 8th to 10th (lunar calendar), Gia Vien district will organize the Duc Thanh Nguyen Temple Festival 2024, which is recognized as a national architectural and artistic heritage site. Right from the entrance to the temple, the village roads and alleys have been beautified, clean and tidy, with festival flags fluttering in the wind… People in Gia Tien and Gia Thang communes are enthusiastically preparing for the traditional festival.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hoa, Vice Chairman of the Gia Tien Commune People's Committee and Head of the Organizing Committee for the Duc Thanh Nguyen Temple, said: The Duc Thanh Nguyen Temple relic was classified as a National Architectural and Artistic Relic in 1989. Over the years, the Party Committee and local authorities of Gia Tien and Gia Thang communes have carried out many activities to preserve and promote the value of the relic in the socio-economic development of each locality.

Local authorities have done a good job of disseminating information and raising public awareness about the management and protection of historical sites, environmental protection, and the preservation of the landscape of the historical site, preventing encroachment on the site, and promoting civilized behavior in organizing festivals…

Therefore, over the years, the Duc Thanh Nguyen Temple - a national architectural and artistic monument - has always attracted tourists from various provinces and cities to visit and worship. Many tourist routes and tours have been established and organized. Local people are gradually raising their awareness and responsibility in preserving and promoting the value of the monument.

Ms. Pham Thi Tuyen, Secretary of the Gia Thang Commune Youth Union, said: "Contributing to the preservation and promotion of the historical site's value, the youth of Gia Thang commune have actively participated in activities to protect and maintain environmental hygiene, plant medicinal herbs, etc., at the historical site. In addition, recognizing the importance of spreading the traditional cultural values of their homeland, each youth union member actively studies and learns about history and traditions, and participates in training courses to become a tour guide, introducing visitors to the pride of being a child of the homeland of Saint Nguyen."

According to the plan of Gia Vien district, this year's festival will maintain the traditional rituals such as: the temple opening ceremony, the bathing ceremony, the sacrificial ceremony, the procession of the hundred gods, the incense offering... in order to express the principle of "Drinking water, remembering the source," commemorating and expressing gratitude for the great contributions of National Master Nguyen Minh Khong to the nation's history.

The festival includes unique cultural activities, deeply rooted in the immense contributions of Zen Master Nguyen Minh Khong to the nation's medical field, aiming to preserve rare medicinal plant genes and indigenous medicinal plant varieties, combined with health-related experiences to develop local tourism.

The festival's activities are rich and diverse, deeply rooted in national cultural identity and highly educational, befitting the role and status of National Master Nguyen Minh Khong. In particular, the festival is organized in conjunction with the "Tracing the Roots of Saint Nguyen" tourism tour, aiming to promote tourism and the historical and cultural values of the local area.

Through festival activities, we contribute to reviving the tradition of love for our homeland and country, fostering national pride among generations, and raising awareness and responsibility among all segments of the population in participating in the preservation, promotion, and exploitation of the local cultural heritage; preserving and restoring unique intangible cultural values, striving to have the Duc Thanh Nguyen Temple Festival recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.

By organizing the annual Duc Thanh Nguyen Temple Festival, Gia Vien district hopes this will be one of the important cultural events of the locality, contributing to introducing and promoting the values of tangible and intangible cultural heritage and unique tourism products to attract tourists from inside and outside the province, promoting the potential and strengths of tourism development, creating a breakthrough, and promoting tourism development of Gia Vien district in the coming years.

Bui Dieu - Minh Quang

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