Duc Hoang Temple Festival

Duc Hoang Temple Festival takes place from January 28 to February 1 of the lunar calendar every year with a palanquin procession around the lotus pond and many folk games, demonstrating the unique cultural and spiritual life of Yen Thanh people. This is a unique landscape, harmonious between the natural scenery of green mountains and blue water and the ancient spiritual and religious architecture, once considered one of the "Eight Scenes of Dong Thanh" (present-day Yen Thanh and Dien Chau). In the past, this was just a small, simple temple worshiping the Snake God - the typical deity of wet rice farmers. Folk legend says that in Dieu Oc village, Giai Lac commune, there is Bau Ac. Along the lagoon there is a virtuous but infertile farmer couple. One day, the wife went to bathe in the lagoon and became pregnant, gave birth to two eggs, and two snakes hatched. They treat snakes like children, they do not leave them morning or night. One day, while working in the fields, his father accidentally cut off a snake's tail. The dead snake went somewhere else. The good snake stayed in Bau Ac, and was later built a temple by the people to honor him as the village tutelary god of Dieu Oc village. In 1505, the temple was renovated, the upper palace was built, in 1882 the middle palace was built and in 1936 the lower palace was built. Later, he worshiped Sat Hai Dai Vuong Hoang Ta Thon, a talented general who made great contributions in the resistance war against the Mongol invaders in the 13th century. He was born in 1254 in Van Phan village, Dong Thanh district, (present-day Duc Chau commune), and was talented at swimming more than anyone else. When the country was invaded by the Mongol Yuan army, he was chosen by Tran Hung Dao to be a Cabinet Secretary, then joined the Tran Dynasty's battle-hardened navy team. During the naval battle on the Bach Dang River in 1288, he commanded tens of thousands of sailors, using the tactic of diving into the river to carve enemy boats, contributing to destroying the enemy on the Bach Dang River. King Tran Nhan Tong appointed him "Sat Hai Chang and Great General", assigned him to command the Navy to defend the coastal area and granted him the land of Van Trang, Long Thanh commune, Yen Thanh today. Here, he made great contributions in recruiting people, clearing land, establishing villages, opening schools and vocational training for people. Once while on animal patrol in Thanh Hoa, he fell ill and passed away. He was conferred by the King with the title "Central Valor Bao Duc Trung Hung, National Protector Ty Ty People, Sat Hai Great General, Thien Bong Marshal Chi Than", ordained "Supreme Venerable Deity" and decreed for many riverine localities to build temples to worship him, including Duc Hoang Temple. Duc Hoang Temple also worships Princess Lieu Hanh and Princess in White. Princess Lieu Hanh is a deity in Mother Goddess worship, one of the "Four Immortals" in Vietnamese folk beliefs. Holy Mother Lieu Hanh is a talented, virtuous person who loves people and always saves people from suffering. From the Le to Nguyen dynasties, they all granted her the title, "Mother of good intentions". Princess Bach Y, legend has it, is the daughter of Ho Quy Ly, a princess with a kind heart and compassion for the poor. One time, she plotted to lie to the king to save the people digging the Sat Canal (a section of Nha Le Canal), but her father, angrily, killed her. After her death, she often appeared to help people in distress and bless the country with prosperity. She was bestowed many titles by feudal dynasties. The ancient temple has historical, cultural, scientific and aesthetic value, is a place for cultural, spiritual and religious activities of the people of Yen Thanh in particular and Nghe An in general, and has been ranked as a national historical-cultural relic in Decision No. 95/QD-BVHTT, dated January 24, 1998.