A truly special ancient village in Vietnam is home to three UNESCO Memory of the World documentary heritages.

Nestled in Can Loc District, Hà Tĩnh Province, you'll discover Trường Lưu Village, a truly ancient settlement with a history spanning over 600 years. This remarkable village boasts a distinctive cultural heritage that's incredibly rich. What truly sets Trường Lưu apart is its impressive collection of three heritage items, all recognized by UNESCO as Documentary Heritage of the Asia-Pacific region under their prestigious Memory of the World Programme. These include the invaluable Woodblocks of Phuc Giang School, the historically significant Hoàng hoa sứ trình đồ, and an extensive system of ancient Sino-Nôm texts.
Truong Luu Ancient Village – A Magnificent Land of Scholarship by the Phuc Giang River, Home to 3 Luminous World Documentary Heritage Sites
Truong Luu Village (in Can Loc District, Ha Tinh Province) is an ancient village over 600 years old, boasting a distinctive cultural heritage system. Notably, it is home to three UNESCO-recognized Memory of the World Documentary Heritage sites for the Asia-Pacific region: the Woodblocks of Phuc Giang School, the Hoang Hoa Su Trinh Do (Map of Envoys' Journey), and the collection of Han-Nom texts.

Truong Luu Village (formerly part of Lai Thach Commune, La Son District, Duc Quang Prefecture, now Kim Song Truong Commune, Can Loc District, Ha Tinh Province) is an ancient settlement over 600 years old. It is particularly known for the prestigious Nguyen Huy clan, famous nationwide for its many members who excelled in major imperial examinations and forged celebrated careers in poetry and literature.
Local residents recount that in the past, the entrance to Truong Luu ancient village began at Cau Quan Bridge (marked in red), which spans the Phuc Giang River. This river flows into the Nghen River and then out to sea via the Sot Estuary (in present-day Loc Ha District). The Phuc Giang River is also linked to the legend of King Ho Quy Ly, who once brought his navy here for military exercises. The river's name was also adopted by Thám hoa (third-ranked laureate) Nguyen Huy Oanh for the library he founded: Phuc Giang Library.

Beside the Phuc Giang River stands Ngoc Well, which has been supplying water to the villagers for centuries. In the past, this well provided water for drinking and daily life to the local community.

Truong Luu Village Communal House, built in the 17th century, consists of two main parts: the Thượng Điện (Upper Sanctuary), where deities are worshipped, and the Hạ Điện (Lower Sanctuary), a space for the community's cultural and spiritual life. The entire architectural style of the communal house reflects the design principles of the Later Le Dynasty.

The communal house's architecture is crafted from jackfruit wood, adorned with exquisite patterns. Annually on the 12th day of the 6th lunar month, locals hold a Kỳ Phục ceremony, praying for national peace and prosperity, and for abundance for the villagers. In 2008, the communal house was recognized as a Provincial-level Historical Relic.

Inside the communal house, there is still a stele bearing the names of 22 villagers (primarily from the Nguyen Huy family) who achieved doctorate degrees during the Later Le and Nguyen dynasties.

The intricate, elaborate, and highly artistic carvings on jackfruit wood are arranged with harmonious symmetry. Decorative themes reflect traditional folk culture, featuring motifs like dragons, phoenixes, and tigers.

Over time, many sections of the structure have deteriorated and are in need of timely restoration.

The fish-scale tiles on the communal house roof are falling off and showing signs of damage over time.

Throughout its history of formation and development, Truong Luu Village has cultivated a distinctive system of cultural heritage. Pictured here is the Nguyen Huy family ancestral temple in Truong Luu Village.

Regarding tangible cultural heritage, the village still preserves over 15 relics of various sizes, including 4 national-level ranked sites, 9 provincial-level sites, and a system of ancestral temples belonging to other families.

A national-level historical-cultural relic, the Ancestral Temple of Nguyen Huy Oanh and Nguyen Huy Tu, also known as Luc Chi Temple. This temple was built in 1752 by Thám hoa (third-ranked laureate) Nguyen Huy Oanh to worship his father, Mr. Nguyen Huy Tuu (1690-1750).

Phuc Giang Library and Truong Luu Learning Institution are two relics intrinsically linked to the Woodblocks of Phuc Giang School, which has been recognized by UNESCO as a Memory of the World Documentary Heritage for the Asia-Pacific region. The image shows the area where Phuc Giang School once stood.

The lotus pond in Truong Luu Village, next to the temple dedicated to the renowned scholar Nguyen Huy Tu (1743-1790), has now been restored.
Late last June, Ha Tinh Province received official recognition for the Han-Nom Texts of Truong Luu Village as a Memory of the World Documentary Heritage for the Asia-Pacific region.

Professor, Doctor of Science, and Academician Nguyen Huy My is the 16th-generation descendant of the Nguyen Huy family in Truong Luu Village. He spearheaded the effort to collect, appraise, finalize the dossier, and introduce the ancient village's heritage to the world.



The three heritage items from Truong Luu Village include: the Woodblocks of Phuc Giang School, a set of carved wooden blocks used for printing books for the Nguyen Huy family's teaching and learning from the 18th to the 20th century at Phuc Giang School; the Hoang Hoa Su Trinh Do (Map of Envoys' Journey), recognized as the sole surviving copy of a book primarily consisting of maps; and the Collection of Han-Nom Texts, comprising 173 documents found in 14 family ancestral temples, the communal house, and 8 private homes within Truong Luu Village (dating from the late 17th to mid-20th century).

All three of these documentary heritage items are currently displayed at the office of the Truong Luu Cultural Heritage Preservation Management Board (the former headquarters of Truong Loc Commune People's Committee). These exhibitions consistently draw large numbers of visitors eager to admire and learn about the heritage.
Ha Tinh 6608 view
Update day : 31/07/2023
Source : Tiền Phong Affiliate links
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