Vu Shrine

The Shrine of the Nguyen Clan Lady (Vu Shrine) is located in Thuy Khe Hamlet, Quoc Oai Commune, within the cultural space of the Thay Pagoda complex. It is a folk belief structure with historical, cultural, and humanistic value, associated with the tradition of honoring those who made meritorious contributions to the local village community. Thay Pagoda is one of the famous relics of the Doai region, associated with Zen Master Tu Dao Hanh, and is ranked as a Special National Monument

According to the content recorded on “Stele of Worship of the Patron Deity of Five Communes and Hamlets”, the Lady of the Nguyen Clan had the personal name Dien, she was a virtuous daughter from a noble lineage. The stele records that she was the third beloved daughter of a Tien Cong, raised in a disciplined family tradition and renowned for her filial piety, modesty, and kindness.

Legend has it that when she came to live in the Thuy Khe area, the Lady of the Nguyen Clan devoted much effort to caring for the people's livelihood. In a context where the locality still faced many difficulties, she made important economic and social contributions, such as helping the poor, supporting agricultural production, encouraging cultivation and livestock raising, and stabilizing community life. The content of the stone stele emphasizes that these merits brought prosperity and peace to the villagers and were deeply remembered by the people.

One of the Lady of the Nguyen Clan's outstanding values was her spirit of compassion and responsibility toward the community. She donated land and money to the communes and hamlets to serve necessary public works. At the same time, she contributed to building conventions and village covenants to maintain orderly community life, encourage education, and preserve fine customs and traditions. For this reason, the people of many villages in the region honored her as Patron Deity, and established a place of worship to commemorate her merits.

The stone stele indicates that the worship of the Lady of the Nguyen Clan has been maintained through many generations. Local people regard her as a symbol of benevolence, tolerance, and the spirit of service to the community. From this, a form of worship developed with the educational meaning of the moral principle “when drinking water, remember its source,” while also helping to unite the resident community in the area.

Currently, the Shrine of the Nguyen Clan Lady is an architectural work comprising the following components: from the entrance gate is a courtyard with shady trees. Next is a five-bay house strongly bearing the old Northern Vietnamese style. Finally is the rear sanctuary where the altar of the Lady of the Nguyen Clan is placed, with a statue of her for worship inside.

The Shrine of the Nguyen Clan Lady, located within the Thay Pagoda relic site and ranked as a Special National Monument.