NGHE AN – The temple and mausoleum of King Mai Hac De and his mother in Nam Dan district are located in the middle of the valley and on hills surrounded by fields, attracting many tourists to sightsee and worship.
The relic complex in Nam Dan district includes the mausoleum and Mai Hac De temple in Nam Dan town; Chestnut Islet, where the king’s mother’s body is buried, and the Mai Thanh Mau temple located on Insert Islet in Nam Thai commune.
The Mai Hac De relic site has been ranked as a national historical and cultural relic since 1996.
Mai Hac De, real name is Mai Thuc Loan, originally from Mai Phu commune, Loc Ha district (Ha Tinh). Orphaned at a young age, Mai Thuc Loan grew up to be smart and healthy, and is a famous wrestler in the Sa Nam region (Nam Dan district, Nghe An) today.
Witnessing the people suffering under the rule of the Tang Dynasty, he sparked the idea of expelling foreign invaders. The Hoan Chau uprising led by Mai Thuc Loan took place in 713, liberating a large area of Nghe An. After this event, he was honored as emperor. In 722, the Tang army returned to suppress the uprising, was surrounded, and Emperor Mai Hac fled into the forest and died there in 723.
On the photo is the statue of Mai Hac De located in the upper palace of the mausoleum.
King Mai’s tomb area is more than 10,000 m2 wide, located in Hung Son valley, near Lam river, in Ha Long residential group, Nam Dan town.
This is where the body of Mai Hac De is buried. During the Hoan Chau uprising, the valley was chosen as the center of the base.
The project was built according to the design of the temple above, the tomb below. The front is the lower palace, the back is the middle palace, the upper palace, the two sides include the left vu, right vu, waiting rooms… Over time, all items have been restored and decorated grandly. Around the campus there are many trees providing shade.
Inside the palaces are 50-70 m2 wide, with wooden frames, surrounded by altars, statues of Mai Hac De and a number of artifacts related to the Hoan Chau uprising.
Behind the upper palace is King Mai’s tomb. The section is built of concrete, has a roof above, and many flower vases are placed in front of the grave.
About 50 meters north, located on the top of Dun mountain, is the tomb shrine of Mai Thieu De, whose real name is Mai Thuc Huy, the youngest son of Mai Hac De.
During the Hoan Chau uprising, Mai Thuc Huy was also surrounded by the Tang army at Dun Mountain, in the Hung Son valley, and died there.
About 3 km from the tomb area is Mai Hac De temple, belonging to Mai Hac De residential group, Nam Dan town. The temple was built during the Nguyen Dynasty. Over time, it was degraded and destroyed. In early 2011, the authorities restored it.
The temple includes three gates; The upper palace worships the king and his family; The central hall worships meritorious generals; The lower palace is a place for community ceremonies and worship.
Nearly 10 km from Nam Dan town, De Islet – a low hill surrounded by fields in Nam Thai commune is the burial place of King Mai’s mother’s body. To get to the grave, people need to climb more than 100 steps.
According to historical documents, while going up the mountain, Mai Thuc Loan’s mother was mauled by a wild animal. The king and villagers brought her back to bury her at Chestnut Islet.
Mai Thanh Mau Temple is also in Nam Thai commune, located on top of Chen islet, nearly a kilometer from De islet. The temple was built in 2012 on an area of about 2,000 m2 with a main hall, stele…
Behind the temple is a restored thatched house with bamboo walls, on the right side is planted with apricot trees, in front of the monument is a stone table with incense burners and teapots. Legend has it that the old cottage is where Mai Thuc Loan was born.
Every year, the Mai King relic complex welcomes tens of thousands of visitors to visit, pilgrimage, and worship.
To commemorate the gratitude of King Mai Hac De, in the first lunar month of every year, at the relic site, local people often organize the Mai King Festival with many rituals such as offering incense, water procession, opening ceremony, and announcement. along with many folk games such as wrestling, card games, cockfighting, stick pushing, tug of war… Photo: Nguyen Hong Hai
In the folk games at the Plum King Festival, wrestling is always popular, attracting thousands of people sitting around the arena to watch.
According to history books, when she was young, Mai Thuc Loan had better health than anyone else. At the age of 10, she used an ax to slash a tiger, and at the age of 14, she knocked down a Tang Dynasty soldier in a wrestling competition. When he became king, he still maintained his courage and martial spirit.
Every year in the spring, King Mai organizes competitions in each region, selecting healthy wrestlers to supplement the vanguard army. Wrestling then became a custom in village festivals, demonstrating the martial spirit of the people of Nghe An.
Photo,Video: Internet (Vinlove.net)