What began with a mysterious natural stone in rural Nghe An has grown into a place of worship, surrounded by a haunting folk legend passed down through generations.
Perched on the southeastern peak of Nha Ong Hill, in what was once Vinh Tuy village and is now Hop Minh commune in Nghe An province, Co Da Temple has long been regarded by local residents as a sacred place.
What makes the temple unusual is that its story did not begin with an ancient building. At its heart is a natural stone, surrounded by a legend that generations of villagers have kept alive.
The natural stone worshipped by local residents is at the heart of a folk legend surrounding the origins of Co Da Temple.
The earth-gray stone has a rough surface covered with a thin layer of lichen. Rising about 40-50 centimeters above the ground and stretching nearly two meters in length, it is regarded by local residents as the “soul” of the temple.
Village elders say the legend of Co Da Temple dates back to a period when Vietnam was under Chinese rule. According to local folklore, the forest here was once chosen as a hiding place for gold, silver and other valuables. Those who ruled the area at the time were said to believe that the spirits of unmarried young women could become supernatural guardians of buried treasure.
According to the story passed down locally, girls were selected while still young and raised until adulthood before being taken to the place where the treasure was hidden for a mysterious ritual. They never returned. Villagers came to believe that their unjust deaths left their spirits behind to guard the treasure.
The ancient stone remains the focal point of the worship space at Co Da Temple.
Legend has it that three young women were brought to this area for the ritual, including one from the Vu family of Vinh Tuy village. After the treasure was hidden, all three were believed to have died in tragic circumstances. From then on, stories of the young women’s spirits remaining behind as guardians of the treasure were passed from one generation to the next.
Some time later, on a stormy night, villagers reportedly discovered a large stone protruding from the ground. The stone gradually came to be regarded as a sacred trace of the story and eventually became associated with the creation of what is now Co Da Temple.
The tale, however, remains folklore. No historical records or scientific research have so far been found to verify the origin of the legend.
A local resident burns incense and prays for peace at the temple.
Ngo Duc Quan, 62, lives beside the temple and has looked after it since 2012. As head of the Co Da Temple management board, he remembers when the site was little more than a rocky outcrop deep in thick forest, tangled with vines and difficult to reach.
“There was no temple like the one you see today,” Quan said. “People only knew about the stone and would come up here to burn incense and pray. Later, as more people began visiting, residents in the area contributed money to build the temple grounds into what they are today.”
The temple now covers about 1,000 square meters, with its grounds carefully laid out and maintained. Despite several rounds of renovation, the original natural stone has been left untouched.
Quan said numerous stories of the temple’s supposed spiritual powers continue to circulate among local residents. Some people say they recovered lost possessions or found missing livestock after coming to pray. Others visit to ask for good health, peace and good fortune.
A view of Co Da Temple in Hop Minh commune, Nghe An province.
Nguyen Van Hai, deputy head of the Culture and Social Affairs Division of Hop Minh commune, said the locality now has almost no surviving written records documenting the history of Co Da Temple.
Even so, the temple remains a familiar spiritual site for the community. Local people have preserved it and contributed to its restoration over many years, gradually shaping it into the place seen today.
Its origins may not be supported by historical documentation, but the stories surrounding Co Da Temple continue to pass from one generation to another, becoming part of the community’s spiritual life and collective memory.
It is this blend of folklore and faith, set amid the quiet hills of rural Nghe An, that gives the temple its distinctive character and continues to draw local residents and visitors who come to burn incense and pay their respects.
Vietnamnet.vn
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