Vietnamese Women, vol. 1 chapter 1, part 2: 11 to 20

from: Bao Tang Phu Nu Nam Bo: The Vietnamese Women. Vestiges & Landscapes. The Cultural-Historic (Di Tich Thang Canh Lich Su Van Hoa. Phu nu Viet Nam); Nha Xuat Ban Phu Nu 1999; chapter 1: remains of goddesses, founders of professions and of famous persons' mothers (Di tich ve mau, nu than, ba to ba chua cac nganh nghe va me cac danh nhan)

1.11 AN THAI Temple

AN THAI VILLAGE (nowadays called Kim -thai village), VU BAN DISTRICT

The temple is for the worship of Holy Mother Lieu Hanh. Legend has it that Princess Lieu Hanh was a daughter of the King of Heaven. She went down to the Earth to be born into a daughter of the Lê family in An Thai village. when alive, she was well - known for her beauty and talent. After her death, she turned out to be awe - inspiringly [stimulating] powerful so people set up temples to worship her at many places, but teh main ones are in An Thai village where she was born, and Sung Son temple in Thanh Hoa province (p.24).

1.12 TAY HO Pagoda [for Lieu Hanh - Holy Mother - queen of the people]

TAY AN HAMLET - QUANG AN VILLAGE - TU LIEM DISTRICT

Tay Ho district, one of many places, is for the worship of Lieu Hanh who was called Holy Mother and extolled as the Queen of the people. "Che Thang Hoa Dieu" Dai Vuong, Toi Lih Thuong Dang Than". She was ranked among "The Four Immortals" along with Genie Tan Vien, Gneie Giong, Tien Dung - Chu Dong Tu fairies. Holy Mother was worshipped everywhere with temples and shrines.

It is said that she was the Second Land Fairy Quynh Hoa, King of Heaven's daughter. Because she had broken a jewel bowl at a banquet due to an oversight, she had been condemned to go down to the earth and to be born into the Le Thai Cong family (1557) who always did good deeds. One night, there was a "strange perfume in the house, a good omen going through the window", so her parents called her as Giang Tien.

At the age of eighteen, Giang Tien married an adopted son of Tran Cong named Dao Lang and they had a son and a daughter. She died when she was twenty one years old. Giang Tien returned to Heaven, but it seemed that her attachment to the world had not been terminated, she had missed her children and husband still living on Earth. So the King of Heaven bestowed on her the little of Princess Lieu Hanh and allowed her to go down to the Earth for the second time. For this time, she had made careful recommendations to her husband and children, got family affairs settled, then she traveled around the world and used her magical power either to tease someone, or to punih and to grant favor to others. She gave the King a pair of shoes, when he stopped off at Vu Ban village (Nam Ha) and from this story the name of Phu Giay festival came into existence.

The third time, Princess Lieu Hanh went down to the Earth at Cat street. Thanh Hoa and she was often used to turn out to be awe-inspiring power to exterminate evil and help people. She helped the imperial court to destroy the enemy, so she was granted the title of "Che Thang Hoa Dieu" Queen and honored as Ma Hoang Princess (p.26).

1.13 SAM temple [for mother Lieu Hanh]

BIM SON TOWN

One of three biggest centers is for the worship of Holy Mother Lieu Hanh in the North (p.29).

1.14 VAN PHUC Dinh [for Lady La Thi Nuong: Le Thi Na from Tuyen Quang]

VAN PHUC VILLAGE - HA DONG TOWN

According to legend, Lady La Thi Nuong whose real name was Le Thi Na, came from Tuyen Quang region and was the wife of Cao Bien. They came to settle in Van Phuc village (Ha Dong) over 1,000 years ago.

When she came to this region, she taught the villagers to plant mulberry trees, to raise silkworm, to unwind silk thread from cocoon and to weave silk. Later, through many years, the silk weaving in Van Phuc village developed well and became popular.

Van Phuc silk which had a remarkable charm with special eastern character was not only appreciated by the locals but also attracted foreign traders very early. Especially, in the Nguyen Dynasty, the royal family liked Van Phuc silk which was chosen as the cloth to make costumes for mandarins.

To commemorate the merit of her making the silk weaving for the country, the Van Phuc villagers called her as the founder of the silkworm industry, extolled her as Holy - Lady and worshippped her in the village dinh.

Every year, the memorial ceremony to her merit is organized on the 10th day of the 8th lunar month (p.31).

1.15 Lady PHAM THI TRAN Temple [founder of the opera "Chèo"]

The founder of Hat chèo (Vietnamese popular opera).

NINH BINH TOWN - NINH BINH PROVINCE

Lady Pham Thi Tran was considered the founder of Chèo (Popular Opera), a characteristic and remarkable art of the Northern Delta and of Vietnam.

There was a story that during the period when Dinh Bo Linh defeated the 12 warlords, in the region of Hong Chau in Hung Yen province, there was a beautiful young lady who sang and danced very well; her name was Pham Thi Tran (924-976). She knew many folk songs and could create dances for these songs.

In order to entertain the soldiers and help them relax, Dinh Bo Linh ordered to select a number of young men and ladies and invited Lady Pham Thi Tran to train them as singers and dancers. Then, the folk-tales and folklore as well as the daily activities in the countryside were performed on show under the direction of Lady Pham Thi Tran. It is said that the art of Vietnamese Popular Opera was founded at that time.

After Lady Pham Thi Tran's death, the royal court ordered the construction of worshipping temples in many places to commemorate the merit of the outstanding lady (p.33).

1.16 Lady BACH HOA' s Temple [a singer]

The founder of the Hat co dau profession.

CO DAM VILLAGE - NGHI XUAN DISTRICT - HA TINH PROVINCE

Lady Bach Hoa who was in Thuong Chau region of Thanh Hoa province was a famous singer during the early - Lê Dynasty and among the people, she was considered the founder of the Hat co dau (songstress) profession.

It is said that Lady Bach Hoa was a beautiful young girl but mute by birth. Until one day, she met Dinh Lê (alias Nguyen Sinh) who was famous for playing musical instrument. When she heard Dinh Lê performing, her voice suddenly came out. Later, she got married with Dinh Lê and shared the singing profession.

When her husband died, she continued the profession. It is said that she was the composer of two songs "Non Mai" and "Hong Hanh".

Later, there were many places where people set up altars to worship her such as: in Co Dam village (Nghi Xuan-Ha Tinh province), there was a temple dedicated to worship her and her husband worship, the Temple of To co dau (Founder of the Songstress Profession temple) or the Temple of Bach Hoa Princess in Thai Ha hamlet (Ha Noi), in Hung Yen and in Nam Dinh (p.37).

1.17 VAN XA Dinh [Ta Thi Huy Lang with husband Cao Van Phuc doing good things]

Worshipping the irrigation founder

VAN XA HAMLET - DUC LY VILLAGE - LY NHAN DISTRICT - HA NAM PROVINCE

According to the deity genealogy and the village rules of Van Xa hamlet, under the reign of King Lê Thanh Tong (1442-1497), there was a couple; the wife's name was Ta Thi Huy Lang and the husband's was Cao Van Phuc (from Van Lam village). They had many contributions to the building of the dykes of the Day and the Hong river, the development of pisciculture [breeding of fish], King's suppression of rebellions and the treatment for measles and cholera to the people of two districts Thanh Liem and Ly Nhon.

They also had the services in linking the two villages Van Xa and Van Lam to live together in unity, especially to make together irrigation, to help each other when happened flood and dike breach. King Lê rewarded her with royal towel and silk blouse for that work.

She died on the 19th day of the second lunar month and her husband on the 10th day of the third month. King Lê Thanh Tong nominated them as Thuong Dang Phuc Than (High ranking Luck deity) of the two villages Van Lam and Van Xa.

In the yearly grave visiting season, the people of the two villages organize the traditional ceremony at the dinh which also shows the very close relationship between two villages. In some years, the Van Xa villagers paraded her palanquin to visit her husband's village; and in other years, the Van Lam people paraded her husband's eight pole sedan chair to visit her village (p.39).

1.18 THIEN NIEN Pagoda [lady Phan Thi Ngoc Do]

Worshipping the weaving Lady

TRICH SAI VILLAGE - HA NOI

Thien Nien Pagoda which formerly was Bat Thap pagoda had been built by the order of two princesses of King Ly Nam De (544-548). To the end of the 15th century, the pagoda was renovated by Lady Phan Thi Ngoc Do and changed the name to Thien Nien Pagoda.

Lady Phan Thi Ngog Do was a beautiful and on this occasion of suppressing talent girl; she was kept a keen eye on by King Le Than Tong rebellion in the South. On the victory day, he took her and her 24 maids, who were from the South, to Thang Long capital.

The king granted her over 80 ha of land and a palace in Trich Sai village, called Thien Nien Farm.

When she came to Trich Sai village, she contributed hundreds of tales of gold to helping the villagers recover the weaving profession which used to exist and fell into oblivion during the enemy's occupation of Thang Long capital. At the same time, she and her servants sought the instructor of the weaving. She ordered to make the weaving frame and to build the weaving factory n her palace.

She had a child with King Lê Thanh Tông, but he died young. Before she passed away, she offered all her belongings in Thien Nien Farm to the Trich Sai villagers. She also asked the King to allow their maids to leave the palace, return home and get married.

The Buoi's weaving products were once very famous not only in the capital but all over the country. To commemorate the merit of the lady who recovered the weaving profession in Trich Sai village, the people extolled her as the weaving founder. Every year, on the 5th day of the first lunar month they organize the ceremony to commemorate her (p.42).

1.19 MIA Pagoda [princess helping her home village in agriculture with sugar cane]

SUNG NGHIEM Pagoda

TRUNG HUNG VILLAGE - TUNG THIEN DISTRICT - HA TAY PROVINCE

Lady Nguyen Thi Dong (also called Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dieu) came from Dong Sang village, Tung Thien district (Ha Tay province of today). She was selected to enter the royal palace and became the wife of Lord Trinh Trang in the early years of the 17th century. Though she was living in a sumptuous palace and was beloved a lot by the Lord, she always sent her heart to her home. She often left the Lord's palace to come back [to] her native village, to help the peasants break more land and extend the area of sugar cane plantation in order to give them a more comfortable life. Lord Trinh had repeatedly her fetched back to the palace.

She was also the one who raised funds to build the sung Nghiem Pagoda (Mia pagoda) at her home village in 1632.

When she passed away, to commemorate her, the villagers extolled her "Ba Chu Mia" (Sugar cane growing Lady). (p.45)

1.20 Lady PHUNG NGOC DAI Temple [singer concubine Phung Ngoc Dai]

THONG KHE HAMLET - CONG HOA VILLAGE - VU BAO DISTRICT - NAM DINH PROVINCE

Lady Phung Ngoc Dai was once a singer under the reign of King Lê Than Tong (1619-1643). In 1625, on the occasion of the victory celebration against the Mac rebellion, the royal family organized a singing competition in order to select singers in Thang Long capital. With a sweet and communicative voice, Lady Phung Ngoc Dai won the heart of Lord Trinh Trang and later she became an imperial concubine in the Lord palace.

Living in the palace, she still remembered about her singing career, then taught her servants to sing and to dance; she also established musical bands to entertain the royal family. She also innovated the Letter Drawing Game at Phu Giay ceremony in her hometown.

Later on, this sort of game became popular in many places, especially during the summer festivals in the countryside (p.48).

As she was a country dweller, she always expressed concern to the peasants' living. One time, when the royal family obliged the provincial people to do hard labor in the capital, she took this opportunity and used as an excuse to invite the Lord visit her fellow villagers of Bao Ngu village doing hard labor. Having seen the miserable and poor peasants, the Lord had compassion for Bao Ngu villagers, exempted them of the hard labor and provided them money to go back home.

To commemorate her merit after her death, the villagers worshipped her faithfully. Her worshipping temple was decorated with colorful panels and scrolls.

She was considered as "Quoc Sac Thien Huong" and "Luc Ky Chi Nhat" (the most beautiful Lady of the country). (p.49)

Dinh [Vietnamese community center]

Note:
Dinh: Community hall of village communities in Vietnam. Here three functions are activated: administration religion and culture. The dinh is a symbol of village communities in VN, a visible element of village culture in VN.

Concerning the religious function, the "dinh" is the place to worship the village deity, usually one but in some cases there are many deities which is called "thanh hoang", meaning the village tutelary deity (p.31).

Formerly the dinh was constructed in the style of the Chinese character "dinh". IN the period of the resistance war against the French, several horizontal lacquered boards and parallel couplet tablets in the dinh were harmful by the ennemy's artillery. Van Xa dinh now remains only its front sanctuary and real sanctuary constructed in the model of the Chinese character "Tam" which need to be renovated.

Van a has been recognized by the State as a national historical cultural vestige since 1992 with the original features of the sculptural and architectural characteristic of the Lê Dynasty (p.39).

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