Phu Trinh Temple

According to documents still preserved at the temple, such as “Van Huong Thanh Mau Ngoc Tich” and the oral tradition of local people, Phu Trinh Temple is a place of worship for Mother Lieu Hanh and many other saints associated with the Mother Goddess worship custom.

According to legend, Mother Lieu Hanh was from An Thai Village, Vu Ban District, Nam Dinh Province, where the largest temple dedicated to her is located; every year the Phu Day Festival is held on the seventh day of the first lunar month, and people from all regions of the country come to Phu Day to attend the festival and pay homage. At Doi Ngang, Phu Long Commune, Nho Quan District, where she helped King Le Hien Ton defeat the enemy and where she became a saint, the people built a temple to worship her. Since then, people from all over the country have regarded her as the mother of the world, bestowed on her the title First Mother, and built temples to worship her. At present, Vietnam has three large temples dedicated to her: Phu Day (Nam Dinh), Phu Doi Ngang (Ninh Binh), and Phu Tay Ho in Hanoi.

Based on the “Van Huong Thanh Mau Ngoc Tich” kept at the temple and other documents, Phu Trinh Temple worships Saint Mother Lieu Hanh, daughter of the Jade Emperor and second Princess Quynh Hoa, who was incarnated on earth three times:

The first time, she was born into the Phạm family (named Phạm Thị Tiên Nga) in Quảng Nạp, Vi Nhuế, Ý Yên, Nam Định.

The second time, she was born into the Lê family (changed from the Trần family), named Lê Thị Thắng with the title Giáng Tiên, in An Thái, Vụ Bản, Nam Định. She married Trần Đào Lang, and at the age of 21, she returned to heaven.

The third time, she descended with the title at Nga Sơn, Thanh Hóa; after more than a year, her term ended and she returned to the immortal realm.

After that, she manifested her power to help the people and the country, so she was bestowed titles by feudal dynasties: "Mã Hoàng Công Chúa, Thượng đẳng Tối linh Tôn thần", Thượng Thượng đẳng tối linh vi bách Thần chi thủ (under King Lê Thần Tôn), Hộ Quốc Bình Nhung Chế Thắng Bảo Hoà Diệu Đại Vương (under King Lê Hiền Tôn).

The temple currently worships not only the First Holy Mother but also the Second Mother and the Third Mother. These are her incarnations, reflecting the wish for lush forests and trees on the mountains, favorable rain and wind on the plains, and stable rivers and waters without drought or flood.

From these concepts, the Holy Mother of the Mountains oversees the green forests and the Holy Mother of Water oversees the rivers and seas; the people call them the Three Holy Mothers, and there are also oral verses and mediumship rites to serve the Holy Mandarins.

The temple also jointly worships the Five Great Mandarins, Holy Maidens, and Holy Boys. Specifically, the temple worships Duc Dai Vuong, Ong Hoang Bay, Hoang Muoi, Lady Chua Thuong Ngan, the Five Great Mandarins, the Four Palaces Holy Ladies, etc. Each altar is arranged reasonably in its own separate bay. Mother Goddess worship is the belief in, admiration for, and veneration of goddesses associated with natural and cosmic phenomena, with the function of creating and protecting human life; they were talented while alive and became spiritually efficacious after death, aiding people and bringing peace and prosperity.

In the 19th–20th centuries, Phu Trinh Temple was a venue for the charity association, which promoted goodness, disseminated patriotic ideas, restored moral principles that were being overturned, and strengthened the spirit of national unity. The charity association was established to serve spiritual activities at the Thien Dan. It included many social strata: notables, farmers, Confucian scholars, and intellectuals—a social form not easily found under the colonial and feudal regime—and contributed to building the cultural identity of the people of Phu My Village. Members of the charity association were young men of the village; there were no women. They contributed money together to repair the temple and set aside funds to help association members or villagers in difficulty. After death, members' incense bowls were sent to the temple so that later generations could offer incense and remember their contributions. At present, the temple contains more than 200 incense bowls commemorating members of the charity association.

The charity association's contribution regulations were as follows:

+ Initially until the 1960s, all members of the charity association and devotees contributed 5 measures of glutinous rice each year for vegetarian offerings.

+ Donations to the association from philanthropists.

+ Ceremonial money collected during worship ceremonies.

The activities of the “Phu Trinh Thien Dan” charity association developed strongly in the first half of the 20th century. It has since gone through many historical periods; in recent years, owing to a lack of attention and guidance from authorities at various levels, its activities have become sparse and there are no new members. The association's operating site is now deteriorating, but there is no funding for repair and restoration. Incense offerings and rituals are left to the temple keeper and some villagers to arrange and conduct themselves, so the charitable character of “Phu Trinh Thien Dan” has gradually diminished. The sacredness and appeal of a traditional form of belief are gradually being forgotten.

According to sources still available at Phu Trinh Temple, the temple has existed at least since the early Nguyen dynasty. It was initially made of bamboo and thatch, with a paper image of the Holy Mother, at the site on the land of Mr. Do Van Luan, head of the Do family in Coc Hamlet. Later, the temple was moved to Vuon Lao, its current location. The land was purchased and donated by members of the charity association; it measured 14.5 thuoc (6 thuoc of land and 7.5 thuoc of pond), 300 meters from the old temple. At first the temple was still made of bamboo, rattan, and leaves. Recognizing this as a beautiful site suitable for a spiritual place, the charity association members mobilized support from philanthropists who donated land and money, and in 1938 the temple was built as it is today.

In 1946, the temple was repaired and a stele was carved to record it. The 1946 stone stele reads: “...Members of the assembly sincerely practiced goodness and worshipped the Holy Mother three times. For many years the assembly had only a name but no place of worship or activity. In the Mau Dan year (1938), everyone in the assembly pooled their efforts and united to donate land and respectfully build the assembly's three-bay building in Xuan Coc Hamlet in the commune. The statue of the Holy Mother was solemnly installed in the assembly; in front was a jade-green stream to wash away earthly dust. Accordingly, residents built houses to live. On the left was an ancient shrine where members of the assembly could pay homage; on the right of the assembly was a large bell that, when struck, sounded like thunder echoing throughout the area... That beautiful setting was also a place for people to join together in continuing to do good deeds.” At present, the temple still keeps documents concerning 10 people who arranged posthumous worship at the temple. The first is Association Head Do Van Lu, courtesy name Phuc Tu, and Association Head Nguyen Doan Rong, courtesy name Phuc Hoanh.

In the memory of local people, Phu Trinh Temple has been repaired many times since 1946. In 1951–1952, Phu Trinh Temple continued to be repaired; traces remain recorded on the ridge beam of the Vong house: “Thai Tue Tan Mao year” (1951); on the ridge beam in the Rear Sanctuary there is a line of dates in Chinese characters: “Thai Tue Nham Thin year, spring, third month, full moon day, auspicious time, everyone together restored it, great auspiciousness and great prosperity” (on a good day in the third month of the Nham Thin year, 1952, the temple was repaired). In 2010, the temple roof was repaired, covered with corrugated metal to prevent rain leaks, and the temple yard was made...

In recent years, architectural works in the temple have only undergone minor repairs, replacing damaged tiles that caused leaks, repainting walls, etc., without affecting the main structure of the temple.

According to sources, Phu Trinh Temple has an open landscape. It was initially at the site of Mr. Do Van Luan's land in Coc Hamlet and was later moved to its current location. Because the site was considered to have good feng shui and to be suitable, it is the highest mound top in Coc Hamlet; on the left is a shrine to Tien Nga Holy Mother and the parents of the village tutelary deity, Dinh Dai Vuong; on the right is Coc Pagoda, which worships Buddha. In front of the temple is the clear blue water of Ngoc River (a small canal) flowing year-round in a north-south direction. At present, changes and the impact of urbanization have narrowed the temple grounds. The temple grounds have now been narrowed; the temple gate area has only a small passage leading into the temple, and high-rise buildings have been built on both sides, overwhelming the temple's landscape space. Nevertheless, the remaining architectural works of the temple are distributed in a reasonable structure, so the temple still fully meets the needs of its worship spaces. Previously, in front of the temple was a fish pond 7 thuoc wide, but the pond was gradually filled in; now only half remains as a small canal. The temple faces east, in the middle of the village. The current overall plan of the temple consists of two buildings, the Front Hall and the Rear Sanctuary, with a Dinh-shaped plan. To the right of the Front Hall is the Vong house, where more than 200 incense bowls of the charity association are kept.

The temple gate was built with small pillars; the pillar bodies bear couplets, and above is a roof imitating Western tiles. On the gate, three Chinese characters “Thien Dan hoi” are embossed. The current temple gate has been narrowed much more than before; although it has no historical or artistic architectural value, it is a necessary component in the overall structure of the temple.

The Tien Te (Front Ceremonial Hall) is a three-bay structure with closed gable walls. This is the main space where local people perform sacrificial rituals. The floor of the Tien Te is paved with red bricks, 0.3 x 0.3 m, laid in the chu Cong (I-shaped) bond. The structural frame of the Tien Te is simple, consisting of three rows of columns with two wooden trusses of the tie-beam and concealed-post type. The roof and flank trusses are made uniformly in the truss style. The components are slender and rectangular in cross-section. The entire load is transferred to the tie beams resting on the enclosing walls. The front of the Tien Te is left open, while the two sides and the rear are enclosed by walls. The rear wall has two small doors leading into the Rear Sanctuary. The roof is of the one-story, two-roof type, covered with di tiles. The roof-supporting frame includes roof purlins and rafters.

The Rear Sanctuary of Phu Trinh Temple consists of two bays connected to the Tien Te to form a chuoi vo (hammer-shaped) extension. The Rear Sanctuary is smaller than the Tien Te, with closed gable walls, and its structure is made of wood. This is the most solemn worship space of the temple, separated from the outside by a doorway. The frame is made of wood and emphasizes durable techniques, including four rows of columns; the trusses are of a simple red-lacquered truss type. The roof and flank trusses are made uniformly in the truss style. The components are slender and rectangular in cross-section. The roof of the Rear Sanctuary is of the one-story, two-roof type, covered with di tiles; its roof height is higher than that of the Dai Bai (Great Worshipping Hall). The walls of the Rear Sanctuary are built of brick and plastered, with stepped construction at the two side bays.

The Nha Hoi Thien is located to the right of the Tien Te; this is where deceased members of the charity association are worshipped. The architectural structure consists of two bays in a linear plan. Its floor is 20 cm higher than the courtyard and is paved with red bricks in the chu Cong (I-shaped) bond. The frame is made of simple wood, of the pole-and-brace truss type, with tie beams resting on the enclosing walls. The components have rectangular cross-sections and are planed with bamboo-shoot profiles. The two sides and the rear are enclosed by brick walls with plaster. The roof system is of the one-story, two-roof type, covered with di tiles.

Since the Tien Te functions as a place for ritual ceremonies, it has a spacious, airy space and its interior is not arranged with many worship objects. The arrangement of worship objects is concentrated mainly in the Rear Sanctuary. The interior of the Rear Sanctuary is divided into tiers for placing worship statues,

- The top tier of statues worships the statue of Mother Lieu Hanh seated on a worship throne, wearing a white robe, with two attendants, Tien Dong and Ngoc Nu, on either side.

- The second tier of statues places the statues of the Three Holy Mothers;

- The third tier of statues places the set of statues of the Five Venerable Lords;

On the right side bay of the Rear Sanctuary is placed the Son Trang statue; on the left side bay is placed the Duc Thanh Tran statue.

Phu Trinh Temple is a place of worship for Mother Lieu Hanh and deities in the Vietnamese Mother Goddess worship; it is also a place of worship for charity association members who contributed to the village. It not only preserves cultural values but is also a place for traditional education and a place for the villagers' cultural and religious activities. The temple is closely associated with the development of Phu My village. This also shows that the development of the commodity economy in this period had a great impact on the construction and restoration of religious and belief works in villages. From its founding to the present, the architectural works in the temple have been repaired many times, but many historical and cultural values have still been preserved.

It is convincing that “Phu Trinh Thien Dan” was established in the early 20th century. Although the initial worship and offerings were still simple, it was a place that gathered people and met the desire for freedom of belief of all social classes at that time. The birth of Phu Trinh Thien Dan was an objective necessity of a historical period. The people of Phu My, with a spirit of benevolence, despite great economic difficulties, left us a valuable source of materials on purely Vietnamese beliefs, namely the Vietnamese Mother Goddess worship.

The activities of “Phu Trinh Thien Dan” were completely voluntary and included all components of feudal society through the charity association. This was a type of social organization not easy to find under the feudal regime. Everyone, regardless of wealth or class, participated together, helped one another, and sought happiness for themselves in a simple and natural way. When they died, they were brought here for deliverance and peace of mind, with a place to rely on (brought to the temple). The activities of the Charity Association through “Phu Trinh Thien Dan” were a form of benevolent belief that helped Phu My farmers relieve many frustrations of poor life under the feudal regime, brought people closer together, helped them understand and share with one another in life, and to some extent promoted and preserved the humane character in the life of our nation.

Phu Trinh Temple was formerly distributed over a large area, with main works such as the Nghi Mon (Ceremonial Gate), Tien Te, Rear Sanctuary, and Nha Thien. However, the temple's landscape space has now been narrowed due to the impact of urbanization. Although the current architecture is the product of restorations in the early 21st century, it still retains many features and structures of ancient architecture, reflecting a period of development of the former Phu My village.

Phu Trinh Temple is a public belief architecture of Phu My village associated with communal festivals, village festivals, and gatherings for common affairs. Therefore, it is also a space for practicing and preserving the village's folk cultural values through festival activities and ritual ceremonies at the temple.

Phu Trinh Temple has always promoted its value in connecting surrounding village communities to participate in traditional festivals and cultural and community activities of the village. Along with economic development, the religious life in the village has also become richer and more diverse. Beliefs increasingly tend to be attached to life events of each individual.

Festival activities are directed toward sacred and noble subjects revered and worshipped by local people, toward cultural standards, values, and symbols. To date, although customs and religious practices have been simplified, the main festivals are still maintained, demonstrating the solidarity of the residential community.