About Tuong Van Ancient Village

The temple dedicated to Khuong Cong Phu in Tuong Van village, Dinh Thanh commune (Yen Dinh district). Photo: Van Anh

Peaceful, tranquil beauty

Tuong Van, an ancient village located on the Cau Chay River in Dinh Thanh commune (Yen Dinh district), has a history dating back to the time of the Hung Kings. The village is notable for its many large mountains such as Xon Mountain, Chua Mountain, and Lon Mountain... The book "History of the Party Committee" of Dinh Thanh commune records: "During the two wars of resistance against France and America, Lon Mountain in the village served as an observation post, a weapons storage area, and a place to build combat bunkers for our army and people. After years of war devastation, the government and the people worked together to rebuild the village, focusing on preserving the beauty of this ancient village."

Therefore, to this day, Tuong Van still retains its inherent peaceful and tranquil beauty with the presence of banyan trees, wells, communal houses, and ancient wells... Mr. Nguyen Huu Thanh, Secretary of the Party branch of Tuong Van village, said: "The villagers still uphold the spirit of community cohesion. Regarding the beauty of the ancient village, we always encourage each other to cherish and preserve it..."

On the 10th day of the third lunar month, Dinh Thanh commune held a ceremony to commemorate the 1,220th anniversary of the death of Khuong Cong Phu, a top scholar during the reign of Emperor Tang Duc Tong, a famous figure in Vietnam and China in the late 8th and early 9th centuries. Most of the villagers who had left their hometowns returned to celebrate. Before the festival, the people of Tuong Van village in particular, and Dinh Thanh commune in general, were bustling with cultural and sporting performances, and cleaning up the village streets and alleys. Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet, 55 years old, a resident of Tuong Van village, said: “I was born and raised in this village. Since childhood, I have been familiar with the sound of the festival drums. Every year, the children who have left their hometowns return for the village festival. This year's festival was large, lively, and bustling. For me, the festival is an opportunity to strengthen community bonds, preserve, and promote the unique cultural characteristics of each village...”

Like Mrs. Tuyet, for the people of Tuong Van, the "glue" that makes them eager to attend the village festival is not only to enjoy the festivities but also to commemorate the Khuong brothers, who were doctors – a rare scholarly family in our country during the Northern domination period. This is because it is the birthplace of Khuong Cong Phu and Khuong Cong Phuc.

And the story of the man who became prime minister in the Tang Dynasty.

According to the elders in the village, for generations, the village has been a meeting place and a destination for many famous scholars and literati. They came to express their nostalgia and gratitude to the doctor of the Khương family. To this day, the Khương Công Phụ temple has been recognized as a national cultural relic. Inside the temple, there is still a stone stele erected in the 23rd year of Tự Đức (1869) compiled by Nguyễn Công Ban, the head of education in Thanh Hóa , to show respect and admiration for this prominent figure of Vietnam.

Khương Công Phụ (731-805) was famous from a young age for his intelligence, excellent memory, and thorough understanding of the Four Books and Five Classics, including the Book of Documents and the Book of Rites... “After decades of diligent study, the brothers Công Phụ and Công Phục passed the “Hiếu liêm” (equivalent to later Bachelor) examination in Châu Ái. In the first year of the Nguyên Hưng era (784) of Emperor Đường Đức Tông, the two brothers went to the capital Trường An of the Đường dynasty to participate in the Tiến sĩ examination. After four examinations, the two brothers surpassed many Chinese scholars, both passed the Tiến sĩ examination, and moreover, the elder brother came first with the highest title, Trạng nguyên” (according to the book “Literary and Martial Talents of Thanh Province”).

Before Khương Công Phụ, Vietnam had Phùng Đái Tri who passed the imperial examination in the North, earning praise from Emperor Gaozu of Tang: "The Hồ Việt family is one." However, Khương Công Phụ was the only one who passed the imperial examination and held the position of Prime Minister - the head of the Chinese court.

After passing the imperial examination and becoming a top scholar, Khương Công Phụ was appointed to the position of Imperial Librarian. With his intelligence and talent, he soon presented a "strategy for governing the country" which was highly regarded by Emperor Tang Dezong, who promoted him to the rank of Right-Tenth Rank Hanlin Scholar, concurrently holding the position of Military Advisor to the Imperial Household. Notably, thanks to his remonstrance against the Emperor regarding the rebellion in Chang'an, he was promoted to the rank of Grand Counselor and Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, equivalent to the Prime Minister, the highest official position in the Tang Dynasty.

Throughout his official career, Khương Công Phụ always devoted his heart and intellect to fulfilling his duties and contributing to society. With his upright and straightforward character, he repeatedly advised the Tang emperor. This was the reason he was demoted to the position of Deputy Grand Historian. Subsequently, he was further demoted to the position of Quanzhou Deputy Governor. Only upon Emperor Shun Zong's ascension to the throne was he appointed Governor of Jizhou. However, Khương Công Phụ died en route to assuming his post. His younger brother, Khương Công Phục, also passed the imperial examination and rose to the position of Northern Region Vice Minister.

Khương Công Phụ left behind two masterpieces: "Bạch vân chiếu xuân hải phú" and "Chế sách," which are considered by posterity to be "the greatest literary works of all time" (a masterpiece of classical Vietnamese literature) and are still preserved in China. "Bạch vân chiếu xuân hải phú" is also considered the first written literary work by Vietnamese authors.

Visiting Tuong Van village, lighting incense at Khuong Cong Phu temple, listening to stories of unity in building new rural areas, donating land for roads, eliminating temporary houses, etc., one can see that the people of Tuong Van village today are still continuing the proud cultural traditions of their ancestors...

Van Anh

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ve-lang-co-tuong-van-245246.htm