Tomb and Temple of Nguyen Xi

Nguyễn Xí was a general who stayed with a king for a whole lifetime, from the first call to arms until the country was built. His tomb and temple now stand in Nghi Lộc, in Nghệ An. Together they are a Special National Monument.

This land was once called Khánh Hợp, and today it is tied to the name Đông Lộc. The general was born here in 1397, in Thượng Xá, in Chân Phúc.

He joined the Lam Sơn uprising in its first days, at the side of Lê Lợi. Lê Lợi founded the Lê dynasty. The Cultural Heritage Department records that Nguyễn Xí fought in many great battles. It names Bồ Đằng and Trà Lân. Then come the citadels of Nghệ An and Diễn Châu. Next are Tốt Động and Chúc Động. The last are Đông Quan and Xương Giang. These places belong to the ten years of resistance against the Ming armies, from 1418 to 1428. The Ming were the dynasty then ruling China.

Lê Lợi took the throne in 1428, and Nguyễn Xí was ranked among the founding officials of the new reign. In 1429 his name was carved on the tablet of merit officials. He stood fifth when the merits were weighed, and the emperor gave him the royal family name, so that he became Lê Xí.

What set him apart is that he served more than one reign. He served four Lê emperors in a row. The first two were Emperors Lê Thái Tổ and Lê Thái Tông. The next two were Emperors Lê Nhân Tông and Lê Thánh Tông. The last of them ruled from 1460 to 1497. Nguyễn Xí gave more than 30 years of service, from the days when he was a general fighting the enemy to the days when he was a trusted minister who steadied the country.

He died in 1465. Emperor Lê Thánh Tông granted him, after death, the noble title Thái sư Cương Quốc công. Two years later, in 1467, the emperor ordered a temple built for him in his home region and issued a royal decree. That is the origin of the temple standing there today.

The Ministry of Culture first ranked the temple a national monument in 1990. In 2020 the Prime Minister signed a decision raising it to a Special National Monument, the highest rank. This recognizes its value in history and also in architecture and art.

Passing through the front gate and the triple gate, one sees a layout in balance. Front and back follow an order, and left and right are clearly set apart. It is a lively space of wood carving, inlaid pottery and porcelain, and traditional art. Walking from hall to hall, one can look at the carved panels on the beams and columns. This is real art, left by the hands of craftsmen over many generations.

The main sanctuary holds the worship hall, the middle hall, the bell tower, the chime tower, the left and right side halls, and the upper hall. Each has its own role in a place of worship that has lasted through many centuries.

Worship here is still a living part of the life of the local community and of the Nguyễn Đình lineage. The yearly festival has three occasions. The first is a celebration of merit and a prayer for blessings, from the 30th day of the first lunar month to the first day of the second. The second is the tiếu trai đàn ceremony, on the 16th day of the sixth lunar month. The third is the anniversary of the death of Cương Quốc công, on the 29th and 30th days of the tenth lunar month. Each occasion draws many descendants and people from all directions.

A temple founded in 1467 has come through more than 500 years of change in Vietnam. It was built on the order of an emperor whom Nguyễn Xí himself had served. Even today, descendants of every generation keep up the rites, come here to offer incense, and tell the story of the man who fought and gave his service to this land.

It is a shared memory, carried on for over five centuries.