Current situation and solutions for tourism development at Bao Ha Cultural Tourism Village, Dong Minh Commune, Vinh Bao District, Hai Phong

2.1.2. Economy, politics, society

Before the August Revolution - 1945, according to the administrative organization of the Nguyen feudal government, Dong Minh commune today consisted of 4 communes: Tu Lam, Bao Dong, Ha Cau and Tham Dong, the population of the commune at that time was about 2,700 people, the cultivated area was about 500 hectares, most of which was salty and sour land that could only be cultivated once. Up to now, Dong Minh has a natural area of 622.4 hectares with over 8,020 people[1] scattered in 14 residential clusters.

As a commune located in the city's key rice area, Dong Minh always determines to take agricultural production as the main, combined with expanding and developing traditional handicrafts as the direction to enrich, improve and enhance people's lives. After thousands of years of being attached to the fields, the people here have gained a lot of experience in improving the fields, creating rice varieties suitable for the soil type as well as intensively cultivating rice, raising livestock, poultry ... to serve life.

Dong Minh is also a commune with many traditional crafts, which were born quite early such as statue carving, lacquer painting, sculpture, weaving... and are still maintained today, contributing to increasing the income of farmers. Today, local people are respectfully preserving Bao Ha temple, Mieu pagoda, Tu Lam communal house, and wonderful wood carving products of Bao Ha. Together with Co Am literary village, Nhan Ly garden village, Phuong My casting village, Bao Ha wood carving has become a "distinctive symbol of the homeland of Hai Phong".[297;11].

2.2. Human tourism resources in Bao Ha village, Dong Minh commune

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2.2.1. A brief overview of Bao Ha village

2.2.1.1. History of formation

Since ancient times, the village was called Linh Dong village, belonging to Chau Hong land. Later it belonged to An Lac commune, Vinh Lai district, Ha Hong district, Hai Duong town, today it is Bao Ha village, Dong Minh commune, Vinh Bao district, Hai Phong city.

Being a land on the Hoa River to the Southwest, Bao Ha village borders Thanh Luong, Cong Hien, Tien Phong communes to the Southeast, Hung Nhan commune to the Northwest, and Tu Lam village (a village of Dong Minh commune) to the Northeast. Before 1813, the village was called Bao Dong commune. Later, due to population growth (before 1945), another commune was formed on Bao Dong land, Ha Cau commune. Although they are called two communes, the villagers live in "mixed farming and mixed residence", the fields and lands are intertwined, and the villagers live in the same hamlet. There was also a time when the commune name was changed to the village name, Ha Cau village, Bao Dong village, Mai Yen village, so the villagers often called it "the land of three villages". In 1946, Bao Dong commune merged with Ha Cau commune to form Bao Ha commune. In 1948, according to the policy of Vinh Bao District Party Committee, Dong Minh commune was established, and Bao Ha commune was changed to Bao Ha village, one of the three villages of Dong Minh commune. Nowadays, because of the love for the homeland and the desire to preserve the impression of a village rich in cultural traditions that has become the pride of every citizen, the villagers as well as the people of the surrounding communes call Bao Ha village by

the name "Bao Ha village".

Bao Ha village now has an area of 2,324,717m2 , of which residential land is 385,669m2 , cultivated land is 1,939,048m2 , with 6 hamlets and 1 village [8;2]:

- Muou hamlet before 1945 was called Muou village, in 1948 it was changed to Quyet Tien hamlet.

- Market hamlet (near Mo market), in 1948 changed to Dong Tien hamlet.

- Ha Cau hamlet in 1948 changed to Quyet Thang hamlet.

- Dong Hamlet in 1948 changed to Song Hung Hamlet.

- In 1951, Xom Thuong was burned down by French colonialists, smoke billowing into the sky, and was later changed to Hong Quang hamlet.

- The Mountain hamlet next to the Upper hamlet was not disturbed by the enemy during the resistance war, so it was called An Thai hamlet.

- Quan Thanh hamlet used to be the military base of Hoa Duy Thanh, but because of avoiding his taboo name, it was mispronounced as Quan Thieng, today it is Quan Thieng hamlet.

For generations, the people of Bao Ha village have been hard-working, diligent, patient, and patriotic. Over 700 years ago, the villagers followed Hoa Duy Thanh to train and forge their army right on their homeland, together with Ly Thuong Kiet and Tran Hung Dao to defeat the invading Mongol-Nguyen army. And in the nation's long resistance war against two formidable imperialists, the French colonialists and the American imperialists, Linh Muou Pagoda today is the place where many outstanding people have left their mark, for the people and the country.

2.2.1.2. Population

According to statistics of Dong Minh Commune People's Committee, before 1945, Bao Ha village had about 1,400 people. Over time, the village's population increased, by the end of December 2002, the village's population was 3,420 people, and by December 2010, the village's population had increased to 5,370 people with more than 900 households and 16 clans had settled down on Bao Ha land such as Pham clan, Hoang clan, Bui clan, Vu clan, To clan... Among them, the Hoa clan has been attached to this land for about 1,000 years, the To clan has also lived in the village for about 5, 6 centuries.

2.2.2. Cultural relics and festivals in Bao Ha

2.2.2.1. Bao Ha Temple.

a. Geographical location, history of formation and development of Bao Ha temple

Located in the center of the village, Bao Ha Temple is the first place visitors visit when coming to Bao Ha, a temple that is several hundred years old. This temple is also called Ba Xa Temple because Linh Dong was formerly a commune, then developed into two communes, Linh Dong and Ha Cau, and added Mai Yen village. During the reign of Dong Khanh (1886 - 1888), Linh Dong was changed to Bao Dong, later Bao Dong merged with Ha Cau and was called Bao Ha. Bao Ha Temple is a common place of worship for the three villages of Bao Dong, Bao Ha and Mai Yen, and is the common religious center for all three communes. After

In 1813, the three villages of Bao Dong, Bao Ha and Mai Yen were changed into three communes, so today people call it Bao Ha temple.

In 1951, the ancient temple was burned down by the French, but in 2003 the temple was rebuilt by the people in the traditional style.

After more than three centuries, the temple still retains eight royal decrees, including four royal decrees from the Canh Thinh (1796), Tu Duc (1850), Duy Tan (1910) and Khai Dinh dynasties, conferring on Linh Lang the title of Supreme God. On the occasion of the "spring and autumn two periods", the temple is where villagers hold festivals to commemorate the gods and saints who have contributed to the people and the country. Bao Ha Temple is a relic with many relics representing each historical period of the nation, especially the system of statues arranged like a miniature court including the king, the four pillars of mandarins, palace maids and servants. This is where cultural and religious activities of local people and sculptors take place.

b. Objects of worship at Bao Ha temple

Today, the temple is a place of worship for saints and gods that has been recognized both by the feudal court and in the minds of local people.

Holy King Linh Lang

According to the genealogy, Linh Lang was the fourth son of King Ly Thanh Tong, born on the 13th day of the 12th lunar month, the year of Giap Thin (1064), in the village of Tri Cho, Thu Le (today's Ba Dinh district), named Hoang Chan, his mother was the 9th concubine, from Bong Lai, Dan Phuong, Son Tay town (now part of Hanoi). When he grew up, he was both talented in literature and martial arts, and was given the robe of the emperor by his father. But because at that time the country was in chaos, the people were suffering due to foreign invaders, he asked his father to let him lead the army into battle. During a march with General Ly Thuong Kiet on the Hai Dong sea route (in the territory of Hai Duong and Hai Phong provinces today) along the Luoc River, he arrived at Linh Trang.

Dong (now Bao Ha), seeing the high mound and prosperous population, decided to set up a headquarters, build a military post, train the army and recruit soldiers. Before leaving, the Prince called the villagers, gave money to the poor to earn a living. Hearing the news of the hero's sacrifice on the Nhu Nguyet River defense line, to commemorate his merits, the people of Linh Dong built a temple to worship him right on the old military post.

There is a special thing that Bao Ha temple has not only one but two statues of Linh Lang Dai Vuong, one large, one small. The reason is that after he passed away, the villagers built a temple to worship him. Originally the land for carving statues, the artisans carved his statue and placed it in the temple. The statue is tall, majestic, with a beautiful face sitting on a throne. But one night, the village elders dreamed that he returned and said, "I give the villagers a fragrant piece of wood. The villagers should go to the river to pick up my piece of wood and carve a statue of me. Just go to Lac abyss and get it." The next morning, everyone went to the river that flows through the village, which is Vinh Trinh river. At Lac abyss, they saw a piece of wood spinning in the abyss and could not be picked up. Seeing that, the elders prayed, "Heaven and earth, if it is really you, please let the piece of wood float to this side so we can pick it up and carve your statue." As soon as they finished speaking, the piece of wood floated to the shore. The villagers pulled the piece of wood up and carved his statue. This statue is much smaller than the one carved before. It is worth mentioning that this statue has a puppet face, very lively and very beautiful. All the joints of the statue are separate like those of a puppet, allowing the statue to stand up and sit down, according to the principle of leverage. And this is the only statue in Vietnam with this special ability. Up to now, this statue is the symbol of the art of sculpture and puppetry of Bao Ha village, an extremely valuable heritage that needs to be preserved and protected.

The local tutelary god, the Great King

“Than tu Bao Dong, Tho trach Mai Yen, Ha Cau phuong su” are three sentences about the origin of the village’s tutelary god. Bao Ha village today is the territory of three communes Bao Dong, Mai Yen, Ha Cau in the past. The tutelary god was originally a native of Bao Dong village. At the age of three, he unfortunately fell into the village pond and died. The villagers set up an incense burner and lit a peanut oil lamp on the bank of the pond. That year, the village encountered a big storm, all the houses and trees in the village fell down, only the oil lamp on the pond was still burning. The villagers believed that he died at a sacred hour, so they brought the lamp back and worshiped him in the temple, honoring him as the village’s tutelary god. That pond later belonged to Mai Yen commune and the temple today belongs to Bao Ha. That is why the three sentences above were created.

Nguyen Cong Hue - the founder of Bao Ha lacquer craft

Nguyen Cong Hue was originally from Bao Ha village, captured by the Ming invaders and taken to China during their occupation of our country. During the reign of King Le Nhan Tong (1443-1459), Mr. Hue returned after ten years of living away from his homeland, passing on the skills he had learned in a foreign land to the villagers. Thanks to these skills, the villagers' lives improved day by day, and they lived more comfortably than before. People honored him as the founder of the statue carving profession and he was worshiped at Bao Ha temple.

The statue of Nguyen Cong Hue is displayed in the highest position on the left altar of the front hall. Legend has it that this statue was carved by the old man himself when he was old and knew he would not live much longer. At that time, there were no mirrors like today, so he looked at himself in a clear water tank to carve his own portrait. The statue is nearly a meter tall, sitting on a pedestal, with a majestic appearance. At first glance, one would think he was an "old immortal descending to earth"[64;2], but upon closer observation, one would see that he is very simple like any other old farmer in the Vietnamese countryside. His bright, intelligent eyes exude "unusual wisdom"[64;2], and his long, silky beard gives him the appearance of a kind village elder. The statue sits in the posture of a craftsman after a tiring day of work.

laborious (legs bent, legs stretched), but very leisurely. His sitting posture is far different from the "double seven" sitting posture of the emperors. Another equally important detail that adds to the beauty of the statue is the long dress he wears on two-thirds of his body, revealing his strong chest and biceps, along with a big belly like the gentle and friendly Maitreya Buddha. Because he is a craftsman, an artist, putting all his heart and passion into each work to create masterpieces for life, not too fussy about the etiquette of dressing. His soft hands, his fingers like lotus buds, depict the talented hands of an artisan from Ha Cau village, Bao Dong in the past. With unique shaping art, all the details combine to create a statue of the stature of a masterpiece[64;2].

In addition, the temple also worships the God of the Land, Bui Y, Da Bong, Long Than, and Dieu Thong Dang Chan.

c. Architectural art of Bao Ha temple

Built more than three hundred years ago, covering an area of about four northern sao, the temple used to have an architecture of “front, back, and back” in the style of “thuan chong dau sen” [45;2] using precious woods such as lim, sen, and tau, and was elaborately carved by artisans from three villages. The roof was covered with fish-tail tiles, and the two gables were covered with square tiles with soft lines and patterns, creating an ancient look. The temple consists of a front hall, a back palace, and a forbidden palace. In the front hall are seven-story boats placed on rows of stone pillars, with parallel sentences in Chinese characters praising the beauty of the temple. In the front hall, the villagers now place a communal altar in the middle, a small bell on the left side, and an altar to the founder of the profession, Nguyen Cong Hue, on the right side. Inside is a five-room back palace, the first palace has a statue of Linh Lang Dai Vuong carved right after his death. Under the first palace there is a clear well called "dragon's eye". If you drop a grapefruit into it, after a few dozen minutes you will see it float to the pond in front of the temple. Behind the first palace is the second palace, also with 5 compartments. The middle compartment worships the Holy Father sitting in the double-seven position, with a handsome face, wearing silk clothes, and his hands.

holding a fan with a leisurely and relaxed appearance, with statues of civil and military mandarins and To Nu standing on both sides. The innermost part is the forbidden palace with two rooms behind the handle of a hammer, where extremely valuable relics are kept that have been preserved since the temple was built until now.

Through the changes of time and history, Bao Ha temple is no longer intact, but mainly the architectural values that still exist today bear the strong Nguyen style. According to the records on the roof beam, the most recent restoration was in 1989. The modern architecture of the temple is in the shape of the letter J, the temple faces the southwest, the roof is covered with fish-scale tiles, the opposite gables are built with brick walls in the style of adding pillars, and the three-stepped steps make the building look solid. The decorative art here is very meticulous and elaborate, mainly expressed in the beams, brackets, rafter, and door. In addition, on the seven porches in front of the main hall, the two sides are embossed with stylized dragons and flowers.

2.2.2.2. Bao Ha Pagoda

a. History of birth

Leaving Bao Ha temple, turn left towards Dong Minh commune People's Committee about 500m, turn into a small road, with rice fields on both sides, you will see a pagoda, that is Bao Ha pagoda, the Chinese name is Linh Muou Tu, people often call it Muou pagoda. According to legend, the pagoda was built in the 13th century, the 6th year of Hung Long, the reign of King Tran Anh Tong [54;2]. Bao Ha village is the hometown of Hoa Duy Thanh, a general under the command of Hung Dao Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan, who participated in the resistance war against the Yuan-Mongol army. After the country was cleared of enemies, due to his old age, the court allowed him to return to his hometown (at that time Linh Dong village) to rest. He was given the title of "Admiral District Duke" [10;2] by the court and was awarded many emoluments. Legend has it that when he returned, due to his old age, he did not get married but only built a house to live in. The remaining salary he received together with monk Minh Tue, a disciple of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect, and others.

Current situation and solutions for tourism development at Bao Ha Cultural Tourism Village, Dong Minh Commune, Vinh Bao District, Hai Phong - 6

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