After over 700 years of existence and development, Con Son – Kiep Bac still retains many valuable tangible and intangible cultural values of the heroic and indomitable Dai Viet civilization.
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Complex of valuable relics
The land of Con Son – Kiep Bac currently holds many relics associated with the names of two outstanding men in the history of building and defending the country. The nation’s countries are Tran Hung Dao and Nguyen Trai. Con Son – Kiep Bac also recalls the names of many cultural celebrities of the nation such as Tran Nhan Tong Phap Loa Huyen Quang Tran Nguyen Dan… This place is also the ancestral place of the Truc Lam Buddhist sect during the Tran dynasty.
About the terrain of the northeastern mountains, from Yen Tu ancestral mountain, thousands of peaks flock to Chi Linh, forming sacred acupuncture points. The ancients placed these acupuncture points in association with 4 mascots (the land of the Four Spirits): Dragon (Dragon mountain – Van Yen) Ly (Ky Lan mountain – Con Son) Quy (Quy Lan mountain – Van Yen) Phuong (Phoenix mountain -Kiet Dac). Regarding river configuration, there are 6 rivers converging in the west of Chi Linh. Thus, Chi Linh land is not only a place where mountains and rivers harmonize with charming mountains and water, but also a place where the virtues of heaven and earth gather together, bringing peace and prosperity.
The terrain is quite rugged, including high mountains Deep river forests have created Con Son – Kiep Bac an important strategic position. This place was once chosen by Hung Dao Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan as the headquarters to stop and attack the Mongol army defending the east of Thang Long capital.
Besides its strategic military position, Con Son pagoda also marks the comprehensive development of Truc Lam Buddhism and is the ancestral temple that received the first Buddha. Emperor with the second Patriarch Phap Loa and the third Patriarch Huyen Quang.
In 1329, the second Patriarch Phap Loa focused on developing Con Son pagoda. Following the third Phap Loa Patriarch Huyen Quang, he stayed at Thanh Mai Pagoda and then he focused on developing the Con Son center and went down to the Cuu Pham Lien Hoa station. Con Son Pagoda’s literal name is Thien Tu Phuc Tu, also known as Hun Pagoda. Legend has it that the pagoda was built in the 10th century and expanded in the 13th and 14th centuries into a large Buddhist center of the Truc Lam Zen sect of the Tran Dynasty.
Along with Con Son pagoda, Kiep Bac temple giving the relic a unique diversity of Vietnamese beliefs. The temple worships the national hero who contributed to the resistance war against the Mongols – that is, Saint Tran Hung Dao, the most heroic figure of Dai Viet, was sanctified. After he died at the palace in Van Kiep, the court built a temple to worship him here. Until now, Kiep Bac Temple is considered one of the worship centers of the cult of Saint Tran.
Con Son – Kiep Bac Festival
Besides the historical values of the Con Son – Kiep Bac relic site, it is also associated with major festivals of the region. area with two spring and autumn festivals.
Con Son Pagoda is one of the three ancestral places of the Truc Lam Buddhist sect, where the third patriarch Huyen Quang practiced and developed the sect and die. The Zen master’s death anniversary has become a temple festival on January 23 every year.
The festival begins on the full moon of January and lasts until the end of the month, attracting many people to attend. The festival includes the Moc Duc water procession and the Mong Son food giving ritual, which is restored in accordance with the Buddhist spirit to meet the spiritual needs of many people; contributing to arousing national pride and promoting good cultural values in intangible cultural treasures in the Con Son – Kiep Bac relic site.
The Kiep Bac Temple Festival was formerly known as Held from the 16th to the 20th of the eighth lunar month every year, the main festival is the 18th day. According to ancient customs, the feudal state often sent provincial officials to the temple to organize offerings to the Saint to pray for the island.
In addition, rituals such as the ceremony of sealing the procession and gathering troops on Luc Dau River are important and typical rituals in the Kiep Bac temple festival. The event recreated the great tradition of defending the country of the Vietnamese people, honoring the glorious victory of Hung Dao Dai Vuong in the resistance war against the Mongol invaders.
In addition, the peace praying ceremony and the lantern festival are one of the typical rituals at the traditional festival of Kiep Bac temple to commemorate fallen heroes. Soldiers sacrificed their lives for their country during dynasties. This demonstrates the moral and ethical spirit of praying for the country, its people, and its people to have prosperity, good weather, good weather, and lush crops.
With the values of history, science, architecture, and landscape of the area The People’s Committee of the three provinces of Quang Ninh, Hai Duong, Bac Giang agreed to build a scientific dossier for the relic complex of Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son – Kiep Bac to submit to UNESCO for recognition as a world heritage site.
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