Tong Tran Temple and Festival

It is said that in the pre - Ly dynasty in An Do commune, Vong Phan canton, Phu Dung district (An Cau village, Tong Tran commune, Phu Cu district at present), there was a man whose name was Tong Thieu Cong. He was a person of well-educated and good lineage. He married to a girl of Phu Oanh commune, Phu Dung district, whose name was Dao Thi Cuong. The couple was kind - hearted and honest people. Being moved by their kindness and honesty, the God assigned an angel to reincarnate as their child. After 11 months of expectation, the woman gave birth to a handsome and intelligent boy on the fifteen day of April, in Binh Ngo year (In lunar year).

They named their son Tong Tran. Tong Tran had been good at prosody since he was three years old. At the age of five, he expressed his thorough knowledge in all fields. After Tong Thieu Cong’s death, the Tong family fell into the starving situation. When Tong Tran and his mother begged for food at a rich family in Son Tay, Cuc Hoa (The family’s daughter) met them and fell in love with Tong Tran due to his intelligence. He brought his mother and Cuc Hoa back to the native land. With the help of his wife, he concentrated on studying and was waiting for the National Confucian examination. He attended and ranked the first position at all three terms of a national contest for talented people held by King Ly Nam De (544-548) on September 29^th (In lunar year). He became the first Doctoral candidate on February 2nd, in Quy Suu year (In lunar year). King Ly Nam De praised him as the leading talented scholar and general of the country. The King granted ten gold bars and other precious items for him before he returned to his village on April 10^th.

Returning to the village, Tong Tran made offerings to the ancestors, visited relatives, invited villagers to a month-long party and married Cuc Hoa. After three months, he was assigned to go to China as the King’s envoy. The Chinese King tried to test his intelligence but he always prevailed over him. The King praised him as the most talented among 18 envoys from vassal countries of China and nominated him as the envoy of both Vietnam and China. The King wanted him to marry his daughter but he refused. His refusal made the King angry so he was put into prison in Linh Long Pagoda for 100 days, with no food and water. In prison, Tong Tran discovered that the Buddha’s statue was made of sweetened powder and the statue became his food during the days in prison. Once again, the Chinese King admired his talent and intelligence and ordered his release.

Tong Tran returned to the homeland after ten years living in China and found out that his wife was forced to marry another man. He disguised himself as a beggar to find information about his wife. He was moved by Cuc Hoa’s faithfulness and love for him so he picked her up to his house for reunion. Cuc Hoa was assigned “Quan phu nhan” by the King.

When King Ly Nam De died, Trieu Quang Phuc became the King and invited Tong Tran to work as the Regent of the Royal Court. After ten years of serving the new King, at the age of 60, he resigned to become a teacher in his native land. Tong Tran and Cuc Hoa did not have any children. Cuc Hoa died on March 3rd (In lunar year). After five years of her death, he died on May 5^th, in Tan Hoi year (In lunar year).

Tong Tran Temple Festival is held annually from 10^th to 17^th April (In lunar year). The palanquin procession takes place around temples and pagodas in the village on April 13rd. The Doctor Tong Tran palanquin procession, together with many people carrying colorful flags and parasols, is organized on April 14^th - the main festive day. The festival finishes on April 17^th. Tong Tran Temple Festival is one of the biggest annual traditional festivals of Phu Cu district.