Tomb of Princess Ly Nguyet Sinh.

For generations, Vong Giang people have been worshipping Princess Ly Nguyet Sinh as a protector deity who brings them wealth and happiness. Legend has it that during the reign of King Ly Hue Tong, the faraway land was divided into several “lo” and princesses were sent to these areas for management. The Vong Giang area, which was previously called Mai Thuong, was one of the 24 “lo” at that time and was managed by Princess Ly Nguyet Sinh.

When the Ly dynasty lost the throne to the Tran dynasty, Princess Ly Nguyet Sinh and her husband revolted against the new dynasty. During the reign of King Tran Thai Tong, the Princess led her troops to take revenge at the battlefield in Thai Nguyen town.

The fighting took place at the Cau xu garden, where there are many banana trees. When defeated, the Princess hid in a banana garden. Chased by the rival troops, she killed herself and turned into a big banana trunk. At that time, it suddenly rained with gust, submerging the entire garden. The banana trunk floated along the Cau river from Thai Nguyen to Mai Thuong. 

Villagers in Vong Nguyet village (Tam Giang commune, Yen Phong district, now Bac Ninh province) on the southern bank of Cau river saw a big banana trunk in the river. The princess’ soul appeared in village elders’ dream, telling them to pick up the banana trunk. The villagers did as told and held a funeral ceremony for the princess at the Vuon Nuong area in Mai Thuong commune on the northern bank of Cau river (now Mai Dinh commune). Then, people in Vong Nguyen village (Bac Ninh) and Vong Giang village (Bac Giang) built a temple and a tomb to worship the Princess as the Genius of Luck.

In Vong Giang village, there still exists the Vong Giang temple and the Princess’ tomb. Next to the tomb is the Ba Lai pagoda which was believed to be built by Princess Ly Nguyet Sinh when she reigned the land.

 According to Chu Van Xuyen, head of Vong Giang village, the Princess’ tomb has been built for long. In the past, it was very small with laterite dome. Over the years, the tomb has been upgraded by Vong Giang and Vong Nguyet villagers, and now it has an entrance gate, courtyard garden, a partition wall and the tomb, with surrounding walls. 

The entrance gate was designed with two tradition-style pillars, followed by a partition wall, a stone stele which was carved with the Princess’ name and a description of the process to upgrade the tomb. The tomb complex has the form of a square with a two-layered roof, while the tomb itself is shaped as a tower.

Annually, on the eighth day of the sixth lunar month, Vong Giang villagers hold a ceremony to worship the Princess at the tomb. On that day, people from Vong Giang and Vong Nguyet villages gather to recall the history of the land and the Princess’s contributions in order to preserve the traditional customs of the ancient land by the Cau river.

Dong Ngoc Duong