Dai Cai Temple

On the left bank of the Chảy River, where the water bends through the Lục Yên area, stands an old temple called Đại Cại.

Local people sometimes call it the Ta Cại temple, an older name that the Lào Cai newspaper recorded in 2007. The temple stands in Sâng hamlet, in Tân Lĩnh commune. Since Yên Bái and Lào Cai reorganized their administrations, the place counts as part of the new Lào Cai Province.

The temple does not stand alone. It belongs to the Hắc Y and Đại Cại historical and cultural relic complex, which the Ministry of Culture recognized as a national monument in 2001. This is a chain of heritage sites, not a single spot.

The central figure of the temple is Lady Vũ Ngọc Anh. A national culture department confirms that she is the one worshipped at the Đại Cại festival, and it calls her a woman general. Her story is told in the old books and in local folk tradition. She is tied to the Vũ clan in the history of how the house of Bầu came to be.

People honor her with three titles, and the first is Bà Chúa Lương. The second is Bà Chúa Kho, and the third is Bà Chúa Bầu. They give her these names because she managed the army's grain and supplies and taught the people how to farm. This is the layer told by the old books and local tradition, handed down through many generations.

The temple has another layer of history. A 2007 report says it still keeps royal decrees from five reign periods. One is Lê Cảnh Hưng. Two more are Tự Đức and Khải Định. The last two are Thành Thái and Duy Tân. Five times, the central court recognized this temple.

The liveliest time at the temple is the 15th and 16th days of the first lunar month each year, when the festival opens. A report on the 2024 opening describes the ceremony as offering incense, making ritual offerings, chanting sutras, reciting the Buddha's name and making offerings to Heaven and Earth.

The festival side is more varied. People play the throwing game ném còn, shoot crossbows, push sticks, play tug-of-war, spin tops and race in sacks. They also fish in the Chảy River. Anyone who wants to test their strength can climb the mountain called Vua Áo Đen.

These games are how the Tày community of the Lục Yên area has kept part of its cultural soul through many generations. The Tày are one of the peoples of northern Vietnam.

Standing in front of the temple and looking out toward the river, one can feel why it was placed here. In the dry season the Chảy River lays its sandy bed bare, and in the flood season it rises to the banks. The people along the river have long been used to the uncertainty of its water. So they built the temple right beside it, to ask for protection and to give thanks for the seasons that passed safely.

The temple is not a grand sight, and its meaning lies in depth rather than size. Standing quietly by the river and listening to the water run past as it has for generations, you can see why this small temple is still here. The Tày of the Lục Yên area keep it, one generation after another, beside the old water.