Quyt Temple (Phu Thai town, Kim Thanh district, Hai Duong province) is an important historical relic in Hai Duong. This place worships Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan. The relic also worships gods such as Ngoc Hoang, Nam Tao, Bac Dau, Duc Ong..., expressing aspirations and prayers for good things.
The temple has been renovated many times and still retains its ancient architecture. Quyt Temple was originally Quyt Pagoda. According to the elders in the village, Quyt Temple used to include the entire temple and almost all of the cemetery land of the current Commune People's Committee.
The old Quyt Pagoda was very small, built of earth and roofed with bamboo. Later, the local people built two stone sanctuaries as a place of worship.
Before the August Revolution in 1945, at Quyt Temple, there was a main festival taking place from the 10th to the 12th of February (Lunar calendar), in which the 10th was the main festival, called the Spring Festival. This was a big festival, attracting a large number of people in the region to participate with sacred rituals and a variety of folk games.
From the 9th day of the 2nd lunar month, preparations for the festival begin. In the morning, the village chief and dignitaries enter the temple to perform a ceremony to open the festival. After the ceremony to open the festival, young men are assigned to go to the temple to clean the worshiping objects, clean the village roads and alleys, and make the landscape clean.
On the 10th is the main festival day, from early morning, on the roads, the sound of gongs and drums resounds, dignitaries and villagers excitedly carry flowers to the temple to prepare for the Thanh Hoang ceremony. On the 11th, the villagers hold a ceremony. On the 12th, in the morning, they organize a thanksgiving ceremony.
The thanksgiving offerings include wine, fruit, and a live pig weighing about 50 or 60 pounds (called a long bo pig), which is cleaned and placed in a cage in front of the temple yard. After the thanksgiving ceremony, the villagers slaughter the pig and eat it at the festival. In the afternoon, they hold a ceremony to worship the living beings, ending the festival.
The ancient and modern Quyt Temple Festivals are different in terms of the form of sacrifice, the sacrificial team, folk games, and art performances... but they all reflect the spiritual cultural identity of the countryside, expressing community spirit, admiration, and gratitude for those who have contributed to the people and the country.
Quyt Temple opens from New Year's Eve for people and visitors to come and offer incense. In addition, the Spring Festival of the Communal House - Temple - Pagoda Complex also takes place from January 10 to 12 (Lunar calendar).
