Ông Hoàng Mười Temple

Ông Hoàng Mười Temple is located in Xuân Am village, Hưng Nguyên commune, Nghệ An province, and worships Ông Hoàng Mười. The temple is about 2 km from the centre of Vinh City as the crow flies. The temple is also known as Mỏ Hạc Linh Từ.

In addition, Ông Hoàng Mười is also worshipped at Đền Dinh đô Quan Hoàng Mười, in Trung Lương ward, Hồng Lĩnh town, Hà Tĩnh province. According to legend, Đền Dinh đô Quan Hoàng Mười is where the Deity resides, while Ông Hoàng Mười Temple in Hưng Nguyên is where he passed away.

According to popular tradition, Ông Hoàng Mười is a legendary figure, incarnated on earth to help people. The people of Nghệ region also pass down legends about the origins, background, and career of Ông Hoàng Mười, associating him with real historical figures in Vietnamese history. According to legend, Ông Hoàng Mười is the tenth son of Đức Vua cha Bát Hải Động Đình. By royal command, he descended to earth to help the people. Ông Hoàng Mười is not only called so because he is the tenth son, but also because he is a person of complete talent and virtue, excelling in both civil and military affairs ("10" symbolises completeness and perfection). Not only was he a general who bravely fought on the battlefield, but he was also a refined and elegant man, skilled in poetry and literature. With the legend of a "General of complete talent and virtue".

Đức Thánh Hoàng Mười is an important figure in the pantheon of the Vietnamese Mother Goddess worship of the Three Palaces (Tam Phủ) and Four Palaces (Tứ Phủ).

Based on the imperial edicts preserved at the Institute of Hán Nôm Studies, the deity Hoàng Mười worshipped at the temple is a real historical figure. He was Senior General Nguyễn, courtesy name Duy Lạc, a talented strategist who once assisted King Lê and was promoted to the position of Commander-in-Chief. He was a hero who led tens of thousands of troops to suppress rebellions. Later, he made great contributions in repelling the Nguyễn dynasty's army, who invaded seven districts of Nam Hà, now the area of Hà Tĩnh and the left bank of the Lam River, including Thanh Chương and Nam Đàn, so he was promoted to the rank of Đặc Tiến phụ quốc Thượng tướng quân, cẩm y vệ, ...

According to the genealogy of the Nguyễn family in Xuân Am village, Nguyễn Duy Lạc was born in the year Mậu Ngọ and died on the 12th day of the 2nd lunar month in the year Kỷ Mão. He contributed 100 quan of money and 2 mẫu of rice fields to help the village, so he is worshipped at the temple. He was the fifth son of Nguyễn Phúc Tâm. When Nguyễn Duy Lạc was conferred the title Vị quốc công, his father was conferred Phúc quốc công, and his eldest brother Nguyễn Duy Nhân was also promoted to Đặc tiến hộ quốc thượng tướng quân. All three generations of the Nguyễn family were conferred titles and are worshipped by the people at Xuân Am temple. Đức Hoàng Mười is worshipped in the Four Palaces Mother Goddess tradition, meaning he has been deified. Today, at Hoàng Mười Temple, the tomb of Nguyễn Duy Lạc still remains. On the altar, a sword and a large pen are placed, both pointing straight up to the blue sky.

According to records, the temple was built in 1634, during the Later Lê dynasty. Throughout history, the temple was destroyed. In 1995, the temple was rebuilt and has now become a famous centre of spiritual and religious culture in Nghệ An province.

The temple preserves 21 imperial edicts, a Han-scripted genealogy of the deity, and a system of statues of high historical and aesthetic value. The main temple complex consists of three halls: the Upper Hall (Thượng điện), the Middle Hall (Trung điện), and the Lower Hall (Hạ điện). This structure features the architectural style of temples and pagodas from the Nguyễn dynasty.

In 2002, Ông Hoàng Mười Temple was classified as a Historical and Cultural Site by the People's Committee of Nghệ An province.

Ông Hoàng Mười Temple has two major festivals: the Full Moon of the 3rd lunar month (the opening festival) and the Death Anniversary Festival of Ông Hoàng Mười (10th day of the 10th lunar month).