There is a strange irony to the tale of the small but famous temple of Cho Moi hamlet. The temple, which sits at the base of a mountain and on the confluence of two rivers, is named after a fierce warrior, the Young Lady Tham, commemorating her bloody resistance against northern pirates in the 19th century.
Yet the site of the temple is so tranquil, so serene, that a visitor would hardly believe it was a memorial to vicious battle.
The only resonance with those past times is in the violent rush and roar of the two rivers meeting during the wet season, when they create whirling, forceful eddies and powerful currents.
It’s an idyllic scene. The busy hamlet lies in Bac Can Province, on the stretch of Highway 3 that runs from Thai Nguyen City to Bac Can Town, and is a focal point for several land and shipping routes.
But behind the village is the Truong Bia Range, standing motionless, silent, eternal, like a solid green rampart protecting the hamlet to its west.
At the town’s north and east stand several majestic and pensive rocky outcrops, overgrown with thousands of years worth of patient green moss.
From among them soars the peak of Quan Thung, distinguished by its thick and extensive cover of lush forest.
The mountain is home to valuable hard-wood trees such as lat hoa and nghien, and precious animals like the yellow monkey and pheasant, which are becoming increasingly endangered due to hunting.
The Den Tham, or the Temple of the Young Lady Tham, stands at the foot of the still and quiescent Quan Thung peak, hidden under the cliff and the luxuriant tree canopies.
Its origins are unknown. Elders in the area say it has been there many generations. In its early days, it was simply a small shrine to the elements around it, a place to worship the God of the Mountains and the God of Water.
From there, devotees could watch as, during the wet season, overflowing forest streams poured into the two rivers and transformed them into heaving, seething beasts.
At the point where the two rivers meet, Quan Thung stands in their path, forcing them to change direction. Here, deep and dangerous whirlpools are created right at the foot of the mountain. Countless unlucky boatmen have been capsized by these unruly, swirling currents.
The violent, roaring rivers and the stillness and tranquillity of the mountain are what draw crowds to this temple, now considered as both a sacred and impressive place.
The temple is no longer a pantheon to the gods of nature, however, as it is now devoted to Nang Tham.
Records still kept within the temple recount how the young lady led the local people against the Black Flag troops. These warriors were Chinese peasants, led by Liu Yung Fu into rebellion against the Qing Dynasty in the 1880s. But when they came to Viet Nam, they resorted to piracy.
Like so many other Vietnamese resistance fighters before and after her, the clever and talented lady general took advantage of the difficult terrain in the area to outwit her enemy and inflict many bitter defeats on the Black Flag troops.
She was killed in fierce fighting and the sorrow, mingled with respect, of the local people prompted them to devote the temple to her and worship her memory.
Cao Thi Phuong, the 84-year-old keeper of the temple for the past three-and-a-half decades, says that when she was a small girl the temple was large and imposing, and famed for its holiness.
But time took its toll, and the temple fell first into disrepair and then into decay. In 1994, donations from local people and believers around the country allowed the temple to be repaired and rebuilt.
Den Tham is only its popular name. Formally, it is known as Thuong Tham Linh Tu (Sacred Elevated Temple in the Cave) and occupies a special position in the spiritual life of the local people.
The temple is built in the Dinh architectural style, and laid out in such a way that it has room for altars to worship gods, saints and Buddha under the same roof. This is known as the Tien thanh hau phat (saint up front, Buddha in the inner section) style, in the Tam giao dong duong (co-habitation of the three beliefs) spirit.
The temple serves as a reminder of the old Vietnamese sayings that "when drinking water, remember its source" and "in eating the fruits, think of he who planted the trees." Translation: be grateful to those in times past who devoted themselves to the nation and its people.
This temple’s collection of marvellous statues serve as a reminder of this philosophy. At the forefront are statues of the Second and Third Mandarins, who are believed to keep watch over the temple, and of the three Holy Mothers of the Sea, Forest and Sky.
Behind them is a statue of the holy saint Hung Dao Dai Vuong, also known as Generalissimo Tran Quoc Tuan, the national hero who defeated the invading Mongol-Yuan forces in the 13th century.
In the innermost part of the temple is a figure of Kwan yin with six pairs of arms in different positions. He is revered as the protector of people living on the ocean shores and river banks, keeping them safe from strong waves and winds.
The temple also contains the usual array of indispensable tools of worship such as incense-burners and drums with handles.
There are also horizontal boards and parallel scrolls inscribed with Han scripts praising the pagoda’s beautiful surrounds and the great merits of the gods and saints to whom the temple is devoted.
Next to the main building is a small concrete shrine devoted to Nang Tham herself, and on the left is a simple temple to worship the God of the Mountains.
The buildings and their courtyards and grounds are enclosed within a protective canopy of trees and foliage, and are nestled into the mountain’s base.
The picturesque setting and wonderful landscape is drawing increasing numbers of tourists and religious devotees.
They’re attracted by its present day beauty and serenity.
But never lose sight of its once in lorious past.
The only resonance with those past times is in the violent rush and roar of the two rivers meeting during the wet season, when they create whirling, forceful eddies and powerful currents.
It’s an idyllic scene. The busy hamlet lies in Bac Can Province, on the stretch of Highway 3 that runs from Thai Nguyen City to Bac Can Town, and is a focal point for several land and shipping routes.
But behind the village is the Truong Bia Range, standing motionless, silent, eternal, like a solid green rampart protecting the hamlet to its west.
At the town’s north and east stand several majestic and pensive rocky outcrops, overgrown with thousands of years worth of patient green moss.
From among them soars the peak of Quan Thung, distinguished by its thick and extensive cover of lush forest.
The mountain is home to valuable hard-wood trees such as lat hoa and nghien, and precious animals like the yellow monkey and pheasant, which are becoming increasingly endangered due to hunting.
The Den Tham, or the Temple of the Young Lady Tham, stands at the foot of the still and quiescent Quan Thung peak, hidden under the cliff and the luxuriant tree canopies.
Its origins are unknown. Elders in the area say it has been there many generations. In its early days, it was simply a small shrine to the elements around it, a place to worship the God of the Mountains and the God of Water.
From there, devotees could watch as, during the wet season, overflowing forest streams poured into the two rivers and transformed them into heaving, seething beasts.
At the point where the two rivers meet, Quan Thung stands in their path, forcing them to change direction. Here, deep and dangerous whirlpools are created right at the foot of the mountain. Countless unlucky boatmen have been capsized by these unruly, swirling currents.
The violent, roaring rivers and the stillness and tranquillity of the mountain are what draw crowds to this temple, now considered as both a sacred and impressive place.
The temple is no longer a pantheon to the gods of nature, however, as it is now devoted to Nang Tham.
Records still kept within the temple recount how the young lady led the local people against the Black Flag troops. These warriors were Chinese peasants, led by Liu Yung Fu into rebellion against the Qing Dynasty in the 1880s. But when they came to Viet Nam, they resorted to piracy.
Like so many other Vietnamese resistance fighters before and after her, the clever and talented lady general took advantage of the difficult terrain in the area to outwit her enemy and inflict many bitter defeats on the Black Flag troops.
She was killed in fierce fighting and the sorrow, mingled with respect, of the local people prompted them to devote the temple to her and worship her memory.
Cao Thi Phuong, the 84-year-old keeper of the temple for the past three-and-a-half decades, says that when she was a small girl the temple was large and imposing, and famed for its holiness.
But time took its toll, and the temple fell first into disrepair and then into decay. In 1994, donations from local people and believers around the country allowed the temple to be repaired and rebuilt.
Den Tham is only its popular name. Formally, it is known as Thuong Tham Linh Tu (Sacred Elevated Temple in the Cave) and occupies a special position in the spiritual life of the local people.
The temple is built in the Dinh architectural style, and laid out in such a way that it has room for altars to worship gods, saints and Buddha under the same roof. This is known as the Tien thanh hau phat (saint up front, Buddha in the inner section) style, in the Tam giao dong duong (co-habitation of the three beliefs) spirit.
The temple serves as a reminder of the old Vietnamese sayings that "when drinking water, remember its source" and "in eating the fruits, think of he who planted the trees." Translation: be grateful to those in times past who devoted themselves to the nation and its people.
This temple’s collection of marvellous statues serve as a reminder of this philosophy. At the forefront are statues of the Second and Third Mandarins, who are believed to keep watch over the temple, and of the three Holy Mothers of the Sea, Forest and Sky.
Behind them is a statue of the holy saint Hung Dao Dai Vuong, also known as Generalissimo Tran Quoc Tuan, the national hero who defeated the invading Mongol-Yuan forces in the 13th century.
In the innermost part of the temple is a figure of Kwan yin with six pairs of arms in different positions. He is revered as the protector of people living on the ocean shores and river banks, keeping them safe from strong waves and winds.
The temple also contains the usual array of indispensable tools of worship such as incense-burners and drums with handles.
There are also horizontal boards and parallel scrolls inscribed with Han scripts praising the pagoda’s beautiful surrounds and the great merits of the gods and saints to whom the temple is devoted.
Next to the main building is a small concrete shrine devoted to Nang Tham herself, and on the left is a simple temple to worship the God of the Mountains.
The buildings and their courtyards and grounds are enclosed within a protective canopy of trees and foliage, and are nestled into the mountain’s base.
The picturesque setting and wonderful landscape is drawing increasing numbers of tourists and religious devotees.
They’re attracted by its present day beauty and serenity.
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Michael Cherito - + 84.903454427. Email : trafest@trafest.com
But never lose sight of its once in lorious past.
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