Mac Dynasty culture in Quang Ninh

Throughout history, many historical scholars have held views considering the Mạc dynasty (1527-1592) as a usurping dynasty, believing that the Mạc usurped the Lê dynasty's throne. However, all acknowledge the achievements the Mạc dynasty made for the country. For almost the entire 16th century, the Mạc dynasty used the Northeast region as an important military base. Therefore, it is not surprising that the area of present-day Quảng Ninh still retains many historical and cultural traces of the Mạc dynasty.

One of the well-known landmarks in Quang Ninh is Nha Mac Lagoon, especially since the Nha Mac Lagoon industrial zone was developed. According to the Mac Dynasty's genealogical records, the Nha Mac Lagoon, located in what is now Quang Yen town, was cordoned off by Ninh Vuong Mac Phuc Tu (1524-1593), the second son of Mac Dang Doanh, who planted mangrove trees to protect the land and hide troops. It later acquired its name.

Some believe that after being heavily attacked by the Le-Trinh army, the Do Son and Nghi Duong areas ( Hai Phong ) became battlefields, forcing many people to flee. They migrated to the Van Ninh coastal area to work as fishermen, subsequently forming the villages of Tra Co (Mong Cai), Van Vi, and Son Tam (in Dongxing, Guangxi, China) as they exist today. Fishermen from Co Trai – the birthplace of the Mac dynasty in Do Son – settled in Tra Co, establishing the village named Tra Co, a name derived from Co Trai and Tra Huong, the hometowns of Mac Dang Dung and his wife. The Tra Co communal house is believed to have been built in the mid-16th century and is now considered a "cultural landmark at the northernmost point of the country."

The clay statues at My Cu Pagoda (Dong Trieu) date back to the Mac Dynasty (16th century).

In the late 16th century, after being defeated in Thang Long, the descendants of the Mac dynasty, namely Mac Kinh Chi, Mac Kinh Chuong, and Mac Kinh Cung, retreated to An Quang (present-day Quang Ninh province) to build up forces against the Trinh dynasty. The Mac army constructed a series of fortifications in Dong Linh, Khoai Lac (Quang Yen town), Xich Tho (Ha Long city), Cam Pha, and Van Ninh (Mong Cai city). Of these fortifications, only Xich Tho remains relatively intact. Around 1997, a section of the wall near the Cam Pha Central Mechanical Factory still remained, but it has since disappeared completely. One objective reason is that most of the Mac fortifications in Quang Ninh were built of earth, instead of stone on the mountains like in Cao Bang and Lang Son, making them susceptible to natural elements and causing their traces to fade more quickly over time.

Some believe that Prince Ninh Mac Phuc Tu was the one who built Thien Long Garden in Yen Khanh village, Yen Duc commune, Dong Trieu town today, and not that it existed during the Tran dynasty as many speculate. To this day, the three Chinese characters "Thien Long Garden" are still carved into the rock face in Yen Khanh village.

Over the years, during surveys of the Van Don trading port system at ancient coastal wharves from Mong Cai to Quang Yen, archaeologists have discovered many pottery artifacts, especially stoneware, and coins dating back to the Mac Dynasty. Compared to the stoneware of the Tran Dynasty, which was usually large and thick, the stoneware of the Mac Dynasty was thinner and fired at a higher temperature. During the Mac Dynasty, through both official and unofficial channels, the Mac Dynasty promoted and facilitated the flourishing development of Buddhism. In some places, such as Quynh Lam Pagoda, the tomb tower behind Hoa Yen Pagoda, and Yen Tu today, there are still traces of restoration from the Mac Dynasty with architectural elements decorated with Bodhi leaf patterns and characteristic green glaze of the Mac Dynasty's prosperous period.

At My Cu Pagoda (Hung Dao Ward, Dong Trieu Town), there are still some very beautiful clay Buddha statues. The statues have balanced and harmonious shapes and sizes, and are all covered with a layer of red lacquer and gold leaf. According to Associate Professor Tran Lam Bien, an expert in folk art research, these statues date back to the Mac Dynasty. This is the only pagoda in Quang Ninh that possesses such clay statues from the Mac Dynasty.

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