Kieu Phu Temple

Kieu Phu was a famous scholar of Thang Long during the reign of Le Thanh Tong (1442-1497). He was born in the Binh Dan year (1446); the year of his death is unclear, but some books say he died in 1503. Kieu Phu, courtesy name Hieu Le, was a native of Ninh Son district (later changed to Yen Son), Quoc Oai prefecture, Son Tay province, now Vinh Phuc hamlet, Liep Nghia commune (previously Liep Tuyet commune), Quoc Oai district.

As a child, Kieu Phu lived in a poor family and had to work as a hired laborer for rich households. However, because he was intelligent and eager to learn, his mother tried to have him study under Trang Nguyen Nguyen Truc (1417-1473), a native of Nghia Huong commune in the same district. With his teacher's devoted instruction and the affection and help of his peers, he passed the Huong examination and then the Hoi examination. In the Hoi examination of the At Mui year (1475), there were as many as 3,000 candidates, and Kieu Phu passed as a 'second-class doctoral laureate' (Hoang Giap). After his triumphant return to his ancestors, his mother became ill and died; he asked the court to return to his hometown to observe mourning for her. After the mourning period, the king summoned him to the capital and appointed him to office. He held many positions in the official apparatus of the time: Tham Chinh, Ngu Su, and Tran Ti De Hinh of Thai Nguyen. Kieu Phu was a fine character: not only did he fulfill his filial duty to his parents, but he was also a student who knew how to respect his teacher and honor the Way. When he received a salary, remembering his teacher's kindness, he spent money to buy two ponds for raising fish and planting rice and assigned them to the villagers of Van Khe to make offerings on the death anniversary of his teacher Nguyen Truc. In this detail, it can be said that Kieu Phu set an example of filial piety and brotherly love and of the Vietnamese people's tradition of 'respecting the teacher and honoring the Way,' worthy of being a character for later generations to follow.

This is an architectural work after several restorations bearing the mark of the Nguyen dynasty, the fifth year of Bao Dai, 1931. The temple was built with laterite, faces southeast, and consists of three bays and two wings (currently only one wing remains). At present, the Kieu clan assigns its eldest member to look after it regularly. The temple relic and the Tu Chi site are places for worshipping ancestors and commemorating the notable Kieu Phu.

Associated with Hoang Giap Kieu Phu is also the Tu Chi area. This is a plot of land traditionally said to be the residence of the scholar when he was still poor. No one now knows where Hoang Giap Kieu Phu is buried; it is only known that in the past the Tu Chi site was where ceremonies were held. At present, the only remaining open-air altar at the end of the Than Dao road is built of laterite.

According to the genealogy of the Kieu family and the royal edicts, the doctoral stele in the Temple of Literature in Hanoi (stele No. 58, fourth position, first row on the right from the entrance), archival materials of the scientific library 'Linh Nam Chich Quai' KH.1300 and the historical library 'LNCQ' KH.NV.486, along with some centrally and locally published books and newspapers, Kieu Phu was a scholar of the class of pioneering examinees of Quoc Oai district.

He set a great example of overcoming hardship to study and a shining example of the bond between teacher and student. His talent, shown through his work of collating and writing the postscript to Linh Nam Chich Quai in 1493, was highly appreciated by his contemporaries and later generations.

Kieu Phu, courtesy name Hieu Le, pen name Ninh Son, was born in 1446 in Liep Ha, the old name of Vinh Phuc village. Many documents say that his family was poor and hungry, with insufficient food and clothing, so he had to work as a hired laborer. In learning, he was diligent and intelligent and was taught by the Confucian scholar Nguyen Truc, so he became famous very early.

Through the Huong examination, in the At Mui examination of the sixth year of Hong Duc (1475), Kieu Phu took the Hoi examination. More than 3,000 people took the examination, which consisted of four sessions. Kieu Phu passed as Hoang Nhi Giap dong tien si Tam danh.

After passing the examination, because his mother was old and weak, he stayed at home to support her and observed mourning for her for three years. After the mourning period, Le Thanh Tong sent envoys to his home to bring him to the capital and appointed him to the position of Tham Chinh. During his time as Tham Chinh, he collated and wrote the postscript to Linh Nam Chinh Quai. In addition, he was appointed Ngu Su and served as De Hinh of the Thai Nguyen Tran office.

During his life, he lived and worked under two kings: Le Thanh Tong (1478-1497) for 22 years and Le Hien Tong (1498-1504) for 3 years before he died at the age of 57. People gave him the title Trang - Mr. Trang Kieu Phu. The death anniversary of Hoang Giap is the 13th day of the first lunar month every year.

In short, Kieu Phu was a notable who left the world much praise for his diligence and perseverance in studying and for passing the highest doctoral examination among the earliest examinees in the Quoc Oai prefecture during the Le dynasty. Besides his official career, he also left to the world learned literary works imbued with patriotism, educating people about national spirit and pride in Vietnamese culture. He was also a shining model of the bond between teacher and student that for nearly 500 years all later generations of learners must reflect on. Therefore, when speaking of Nguyen Truc, people often mention Kieu Phu, peaks of intellect and character whose life stories have many similarities.

Today, in Vinh Phuc hamlet, Kieu Phu commune, the temple of Hoang Giap Kieu Phu is not only the pride of the village alone but also of the entire Doai region. The temple is built in the 'nhat' style; the central bay is arranged with an incense table, ritual objects, and a box containing the genealogy and royal edicts. At the top is a shrine niche containing a dragon throne and an ancestral tablet.

The temple was built in the Le dynasty and has undergone many repairs. The current architecture was rebuilt in the Nguyen dynasty and was ranked by the State as a historical and cultural relic in 1995.