TONG TRAN (Fictional character)

It is said that in An Do commune, Phu Dung district (now An Cau village, Tong Tran commune, Phu Cu district), Tong Tran was born in the family of Tong Thien Cong, who was poor but very kind with people.

When Tong Tran was 5 years old, he was very good at studying. At the age of 7, he went to the capital city to take the exam and ranked the first in three exams. Three years later, he was appointed as the First Doctoral Candidate and praised by the King. After achieving academic honours, he returned home to pay thanks to ancestors and married to Cuc Hoa, who lived in Phu Anh commune, in the same district. After three months of wedding, he was sent to China as King's envoy. Chinese king wanted to try Tong Tran’s talent and imprisoned him to Linh Long pagoda, which only had the Buddha statue with water. He thought there was water so there was also food. Then he tried to break the statue’s arm, which was made from ground glutinous rice. Four months later, the king opened the temple and saw that Tong Tran was still alive, but the Buddha statue had disappeared. Chinese king admired his talents in literature and martial arts and appointed him as the first doctoral candidate of two countries.

After ten years of being as King's envoy, Tong Tran returned home, Cuc Hoa was forced to marry another man. He found out that his wife was still faithful to him, he picked her up to reunite. When he was 60 years old, he offered to return home and opened a school. 5 years later, he died. The king asked villagers to set up a temple to worship Tong Tran. In An Cau village, there is Tong Tran temple. The later generations wrote the story of Tong Tran - Cuc Hoa, a famous folk poem, praising the virtues, love and loyalty of Tong Tran - Cuc Hoa.

At present, in Xich Dang Temple of Literature (Hung Yen), there is a stele engraving his name.  

The legend above is slightly different from the Nom story: Tong Tran - Cuc Hoa.