Duke Le Phuc Hoach

Based on the royal decrees kept at the temple of Admiral Dai Luong District Duke Le Phuc Hoach and information from the elders in Chieng Khat village, Dong Luong commune (Lang Chanh), Le Phuc Hoach was originally from Chieng Khat village, a talented general, and because of his merit in helping the king defeat the Ming invaders, he was appointed Admiral Dai Luong District Duke by King Le Thai To.

A ritual at the Temple Festival of Admiral Dai Luong, Duke Le Phuc Hoach. Photo: Khac Cong

According to legend, after driving the Ming invaders out of the country, King Le Thai To intended to marry the princess to him, but because he already had a wife and children in his hometown, Le Phuc Hoach refused and asked for land to return to his hometown to live. During the years living in his hometown, the people suffered from crop failure and famine, he took all the gold, silver, and land given by the king to help the people escape from hunger, cold, natural disasters...

When he passed away, the people remembered his merits and built a temple in Chieng Khat village and held a festival in early spring every year. However, the temple was never granted a royal decree. In 1906, on the occasion of King Duy Tan's succession to the great throne, remembering his merits, he bestowed upon him the beautiful title "Duc bao Trung hung linh phu chi than" and allowed the locality to worship him. In 1908, the king held a coronation ceremony and issued a royal decree, granting him a rank, allowing the locality to worship him as before to record in the national rituals. In the 9th year of Khai Dinh (1924), on the occasion of King Khai Dinh's 40th birthday, he bestowed another rank and added the beautiful title "Doan tuc ton than" and allowed him to worship him to record in the national rituals.

Currently, the People's Committee of Dong Luong commune is preserving 3 royal decrees of the Nguyen Dynasty kings allowing the people of Dong Lac commune, Luong Chanh district (now Dong Luong commune, Lang Chanh district) to worship Admiral Dai Luong district duke Le Phuc Hoach in Chieng Khat village.

Up to now, there is no document that specifically and accurately records the construction time of the temple of Admiral Dai Luong, Duke Le Phuc Hoach. Through actual surveys and according to the elders in the village, the temple has existed for a long time, located on the spacious and airy campus of Bo Pung hill. After a long time of destruction by nature and war, the temple was completely destroyed, and the people brought the worshiping objects to a household in the village for safekeeping. Around 1980, to have a place to place the incense bowl to worship the god, the people temporarily built a small temple on the land of a house to worship. In 2019, to meet the religious needs of the people in the village in particular and the people in the area in general, the local government and benefactors contributed to the restoration of the temple on top of Bo Pung hill.

Every year in early spring, the people of Chieng Khat village enthusiastically organize the Temple Festival of Admiral Dai Luong, Duke Le Phuc Hoach. Notably, on February 16, 2024 (ie January 7, Giap Thin year 2024), the Temple Festival of Admiral Dai Luong, Duke Le Phuc Hoach was organized by Lang Chanh district for the first time after restoration, with the participation of leaders of the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), the Provincial Center for Cultural Heritage Conservation, thousands of local people and tourists. The festival takes place with traditional rituals such as: Land procession ceremony, water procession ceremony, god worship ceremony, festival opening ceremony. After the ceremony, there is a staged art program performed by local people, highlighting the merits and career of Admiral Dai Luong, Duke Le Phuc Hoach in the cause of defending the Fatherland.

Currently, the district has completed the dossier and submitted it to the Provincial People's Committee to recognize the temple of Admiral Dai Luong, Duke Le Phuc Hoach as a provincial historical relic.

Khac Cong

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