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The Mau temple worshiping the mother of Lu Luy tutelary deity
The Mother Goddess temple (The Mau temple) is located in Van Loi village, Tam Dong commune, Me Linh district of Hanoi.
Though not a massive structure, it is still a representative of cultural and historical values of Vietnam.
The Mau temple worships Nuong Tu, the mother of Lu Luy tutelary deity. King Le Dai Hanh in the 11th century entitled her as Thanh Mau Nuong Tu Trinh Nhat Tu Tuong Phu Nhan. Both she and the tutelary deity are venerated at the temple.
Over historical ups and downs, the temple was renovated several times. It also boasts horizontal lacquered boards made in the year of Ky Ty (1929), the fifth year of the Bao Dai era with four letters written in old Chinese meaning eternal sanctity.
Along with that there were the parallel sentences composed by the former head of Van Loi commune in the year of the monkey Mau Than (1928). Once sentence reads: “good dream and lucky cloud showed at the birth of the great general” while the other reads: “good reputation retained in the jade genealogical record worthy son of the great mother”.
The legendary account written in 1572 has it that, under the Chinese Eastern Han dynasty, there was a girl named Nuong Tu, who had a dazzling beauty with charming eyes, bright red lips, rosy cheeks. Her beauty made the fish dive, wild geese fall down, the moon shies away and flowers feels ashamed. She was barely 16 years old and had not joined in wedlock. One night, she dreamed seeing a wisp of golden clouds in the bright sky and suddenly found the sun falling into her mouth, then she swallowed it and felt a wisp of lucky clouds landed on her body.
Then, she was pregnant. On the 7th of the first lunar month, she gave birth to a tall and handsome baby. She loved him so much and called him Lu Luy.
According to the legendary account composed by Grand Secretary of the East Hall Nguyen Binh in the year of the Hong Phuc era (1572) and recorded by Administrator of deities and legends Nguyen Hien in the 6th year of the Vinh Huu era (1740) under the Later Le dynasty, the Great Lord Lu Luy was a male general helping the Trung sisters fight the Han invaders and made many exploits. He was entitled as high military commander. Expelling the greedy Han governor Su Ding, Trung Trac claimed the throne and established the country capital at Ha Loi (present-day Me Linh district). Lu Luy was commanded to build a fortress and resided in Co Loi village to protect the capital of the then country of Linh Nam (now Vietnam).
When Ma Yuan led the Chinese troops to reinvade Linh Nam, the Trung sisters resiliently fought the invaders. However, they were outnumbered by the enemy and defeated. The Trung sisters took their own lives by jumping into the Hat river. Lu Luy continued to fight with his soldiers and then, withdrew the army into Van Loi village. Ma Yuan’s troops chased Lu Luy’s army to the village and set a multi-layered siege. Lu Luy broke the siege and then, rode the horse to Dong mound in the field near Van Loi village. He looked at the sky and cried out: "Loyal subject never serves two kings". He fell off his horse and rolled downhill. It was the 3rd of the 3rd lunar month of the year of the rooster At Dau. Termite colony buried him with an enormous mound over his dead body.
Still preserved at The Mau temple of Van Loi village are some ordinances in the reign of King Duy Tan and Khai Dinh in honor of Tu Nuong.
"The local people devote themselves to worship the Mother Goddess, even though they are far away," the 88-year-old temple keeper Phung Van Kiem with dozens of years guarding at the Mau temple said.
The Mau temple worships Nuong Tu, the mother of Lu Luy tutelary deity. King Le Dai Hanh in the 11th century entitled her as Thanh Mau Nuong Tu Trinh Nhat Tu Tuong Phu Nhan. Both she and the tutelary deity are venerated at the temple.
View of the Mau temple
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Along with that there were the parallel sentences composed by the former head of Van Loi commune in the year of the monkey Mau Than (1928). Once sentence reads: “good dream and lucky cloud showed at the birth of the great general” while the other reads: “good reputation retained in the jade genealogical record worthy son of the great mother”.
The legendary account written in 1572 has it that, under the Chinese Eastern Han dynasty, there was a girl named Nuong Tu, who had a dazzling beauty with charming eyes, bright red lips, rosy cheeks. Her beauty made the fish dive, wild geese fall down, the moon shies away and flowers feels ashamed. She was barely 16 years old and had not joined in wedlock. One night, she dreamed seeing a wisp of golden clouds in the bright sky and suddenly found the sun falling into her mouth, then she swallowed it and felt a wisp of lucky clouds landed on her body.
The old banyan tree in the middle of Mau temple
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According to the legendary account composed by Grand Secretary of the East Hall Nguyen Binh in the year of the Hong Phuc era (1572) and recorded by Administrator of deities and legends Nguyen Hien in the 6th year of the Vinh Huu era (1740) under the Later Le dynasty, the Great Lord Lu Luy was a male general helping the Trung sisters fight the Han invaders and made many exploits. He was entitled as high military commander. Expelling the greedy Han governor Su Ding, Trung Trac claimed the throne and established the country capital at Ha Loi (present-day Me Linh district). Lu Luy was commanded to build a fortress and resided in Co Loi village to protect the capital of the then country of Linh Nam (now Vietnam).
When Ma Yuan led the Chinese troops to reinvade Linh Nam, the Trung sisters resiliently fought the invaders. However, they were outnumbered by the enemy and defeated. The Trung sisters took their own lives by jumping into the Hat river. Lu Luy continued to fight with his soldiers and then, withdrew the army into Van Loi village. Ma Yuan’s troops chased Lu Luy’s army to the village and set a multi-layered siege. Lu Luy broke the siege and then, rode the horse to Dong mound in the field near Van Loi village. He looked at the sky and cried out: "Loyal subject never serves two kings". He fell off his horse and rolled downhill. It was the 3rd of the 3rd lunar month of the year of the rooster At Dau. Termite colony buried him with an enormous mound over his dead body.
Still preserved at The Mau temple of Van Loi village are some ordinances in the reign of King Duy Tan and Khai Dinh in honor of Tu Nuong.
"The local people devote themselves to worship the Mother Goddess, even though they are far away," the 88-year-old temple keeper Phung Van Kiem with dozens of years guarding at the Mau temple said.
