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Village of Ninh Hiep resonates with culture, colourful history
Ninh Hiep , just 20km from the
centre of Ha Noi, is no ordinary village. It resonates with a colourful history
woven deep into the fabric of north Vietnamese culture.
In the past, the village was the cradle of culture in Kinh Bac (an old name for
the region to the north of Ha Noi). The village houses 23 relics of historical
and cultural interest, including communal houses, temples, pagodas, shrines and
places of worship. Five of them have been designated national heritage sites by
what is now the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
The village is made up of five hamlets, specialising in a trade. Each hamlet has
its own temple dedicated to worshipping their own patron saint. The biggest
pagoda is Nanh Pagoda, also knows as Ca (eldest) Pagoda. It has had a rich
history.
It once belonged to the royal family, and was also a place of refuge of members
of the Bac Ky Party Committee (the Committee of the Indochinese Communist Party
for north Viet Nam).
The pagoda was also a popular spot for Party leaders Truong Chinh, Hoang Van
Thu, Hoang Quoc Viet and Nguyen Luong Bang and other famous revolutionaries in
the war against the French in the run up to the August 1945 Revolution.
Another pagoda, also an official piece of national heritage, is Ninh Giang. The
building is a special piece of architectural work with nine lean-tos.
Ninh Hiep also houses several shrines, all of them with stone idols. The shrines
are dedicated to Duke Nguyen Tho Truong who served the Le dynasty.
Pit of lime
Ninh Hiep is known to have produced many high-ranking scholars in the past.
Under the Tran and Le dynasties (13th-16th centuries ), seven natives of the
village got doctorates, and eight were conferred the title of Duke. One royal
physician and two deputy royal physicians worked in the Court.
Education has traditionally been taken very seriously. According to one folk
story, a young man from Ninh Hiep excelled in this studies and became a mandarin
at the Court. But after an envious courtier imposed an injustice on scholar Duke
Nguyen Tho Truong, the mandarin was so appalled he jumped into a pit of lime and
died.
From then on all scholars from Ninh Hiep, whatever academic level they attained,
refused to serve as mandarins. Instead they followed careers in medicine, with
many herbalists from the village travelling across the region to work.
The Kieu Temple in Ninh Hiep was built to worship Ly Nuong, a celebrated
herbalist who created a trade in processing medicinal herbals in the village.
Every year on the 18th day of the first lunar month, a great number of Ninh Hiep
natives return to the village from different parts of the country to attend his
death anniversary.
Legend has it that in the 11th century, a girl called Ly Nuong was so
pre-occupied with making herbal remedies that she gave no thought to finding a
man.
One day, as she headed to the forest to pick medicinal herbs, Ly Nuong met a
white-haired and healthy elderly woman. The woman stopped her and told her she
was a very warm-hearted person and very talented in treating patients.
The old woman then handed Nuong a book, saying she should learn it by heart so
she can teach future generations her skills. Nuong was convinced that she had
been visited upon by a fairy.
The young woman tried her utmost to study the book and travelled far and wide to
help the sick.
One day, after treating a patient who was seriously ill, Nuong sat down to rest
under a big tree in Phu Ninh Hamlet (present-day Ninh Hiep). She stretched out
and surveyed the country scene, with local people working diligently on the
land. She decided to set up home there, and continued to teach younger people
her knowledge.
When she died, local people honoured her as "Great Mother" and the ancestor of
the village. They built the Kieu Temple to worship her.
Apart from medicinal herbs, another one of Ninh Hiep’s trade is weaving,
especially the area’s special Nanh fabric. The craft is linked to the life of
three queens who were native to the village: the first of which was Queen Chieu
Phi who was a beloved wife of King Le Hien Tong. The village still houses her
tomb.
Second queen
Her daughter, Princess Le Ngoc Han (1770-99), who later married King Quang
Trung, became the second queen of the village. The third one was Princess Ngoc
Binh, who was adopted by King Le Hien Tong. Following the fall of the Tay Son
dynasty, Princess Ngoc Binh became the third wife of King Gia Long, founder of
the Nguyen dynasty beginning in 1802.
The canvas and leather goods industry was established in 1905 by a former army
corporal, Cai Ngu, who won the gold medal at the National Fair in Ha Noi in
1913. It is said that most of the workers in Ha Trung Street ( in central Ha Noi)
which specialise in this trade have family origins in Ninh Hiep.
The identification of Ninh Hiep people with their cultural traditions is the
foundations of the traditional craft village. With this in mind, village
authorities have initiated a programme to promote education, aiming to have one
university graduate per 40 inhabitants.
To this end, a teacher’s club has been established bringing together all
teachers in the locality, retired or in service, to serve as consultants to the
local authorities in " increasing the knowledge of the public and for children’s
education". The village also set up an Education Promotion Council and a
Committee for Childcare.
The authorities have supported activities to preserve and develop the local
cultural heritage. These include collecting, copying and translating ancient
records such as royal honours, stele literature, and making an inventory of
antiques. Sixty objects are of particular value, including bronze drums, bronze
arrows, and presents from King Gia Long and King Tu Duc.
The village has held conventions on hosting traditional wedding ceremonies and
funeral rites. Locals have also taken part in a programme on socio-cultural
management.
Thousands of travellers including traders visit Ninh Hiep every month, according
to an official of the village: "They come not only to buy cheap and quality
fabric, but also to discover the hidden charm of our ancient temples and
pagodas."
Source: VNS |
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