Mao Dien Temple of Literature and Xua Temple – Giam Pagoda – Bia Temple complex in the northern province of Hai Duong were recognised as special national relic sites in a ceremony held in Cam Giang district on December 16.

Mao Dien Temple of Literature. (Photo: baohaiduong.vn)

At the event, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue presented the province with certificates honouring its two popular historical destinations as special national relic sites.

Hue also took the occasion to present Cam Giang with the first-class Order of Labour and a certificate recognising it as a new-style rural district.

Mao Dien Temple of Literature, the second largest of its kind in Vietnam after the temple in Hanoi, was built during the early period of the Later Le Dynasty in Vinh Tuy commune, Binh Giang district in the 15th century. It was later moved to Cam Dien commune, Cam Giang during the Tay Son Dynasty (1788 – 1802).

The temple is a place where worshippers come to pay homage to Confucius as well as some 600 Confucian doctors of the province that have been honoured over more than 500 years.

Xua Temple is located in Cam Vu commune, Cam Giang where Great Physician and Zen Master Tue Tinh (1330 – 1400) was born. He is viewed as the saint of Vietnamese herbs and the progenitor of Vietnamese traditional medicine.

Giam Pagoda in Cam Son commune is where he lived and dedicated his life to documenting and making medicine, while Bia Temple in Cam Van commune worships the Great Physician and retains a stone stele engraved with his testament.

Cam Giang district has spent nearly VND2 trillion (USD 86 million) over the past eight years improving infrastructure and public facilities and developing local economy as part of efforts to gain the new-style rural district status.

It is now the only district of Hai Duong to have all high schools meeting national standards. All of the district’s communal and inter-communal roads and alleys have been concreted, while all communes have at least one station providing telecommunication services and a multi-functional cultural house for community and sport events.

The district’s income per capita is estimated at VND42 million (US$1,800) this year, a 2.15-fold increase from that of 2011, and the local poverty rate dropped to 1.47%./.

VNF/VNA