The conferral title of the first Doctor Le Ich Moc
Le Ich Moc is not only the first Doctor of Hai Phong port land but also a teacher who dedicates his profession and loves to his students; is a shining example of the spirit of self-study and overcoming difficulties for future generations.
Legend has it that, during the reign of King Le Thanh Tong, in Rang Village, Thuy Duong District, Kinh Mon County, Hai Duong Province, there was a successor of Confucian career, filial devotion with the full name of Le Quang, and the wife’s full name of Nguyen Thi Le who were poor people, but always respect Buddhist monks, and help other poor people. One night, the husband and wife had a dream that Guan Yin Bodhisattva gave them a lotus flower and a poem. The next day, the husband and wife talked to each other and felt very delighted. From that day, Mrs. Le had pregnancy and gave birth to a son with a square face and big ears named Le Ich Moc.
One day, when walking on the street, Ich Moc met an old monk. The monk saw that Le Ich Moc had the physiognomy and predestination of a high-ranking monk, so he followed Le Ich Moc to meet his family. The Monk pointed to Le Ich Moc and said: “You are a philanthropist, so this boy has a noble physiognomy to make a great career and honor his family. If he becomes a Buddhist monk, he will have a high-ranking position in the future and glorify his family".
Since then, Le Ich Moc followed the high-ranking monk and became a Buddhist monk to study at Yen Lang Pagoda (Lang Pagoda at the present). During the day, he obeyed the Buddhist rules, at night under the flickering light of fireflies or the faint light of the late moon, he used the sand tray as a study book. He poured sand on a flat plate and used his fingers to write letters to learn, memorize then erase them which helped him remember long and understand well.
With erudite education, the high-ranking monks of Lang Pagoda devoted themselves to teaching Le Ich Moc, after 5 years he understood both the Four Books, the Five Classics, and the Buddhist catechism.
During the reign of King Le Thanh Tong, after many failed exams, Le Ich Moc returned to his hometown, lived at the pagoda, continuing to study and wait for the honor day.
The altar of the first Doctor Le Ich Moc
The Complete Annals of Dai Viet recorded: “In the spring of February 1502 during the reign of King Le Hien Tong, the court held an examination to look for talented people. Once again, Le Ich Moc was determined to study and attend the examination with the hope of bringing wisdom to help the country. There were thousands of candidates in the examination that year, and the court chose 61 excellent candidates, of which Le Ich Moc achieved the title of the first Doctor. With the profound knowledge of nearly 30-year studying, Le Ich Moc presented coherently and fluently on 25 pages about the aspiration to revive Buddhism and many strategic offerings about the way to govern the country of the previous kings through many dynasties. When reviewing the examination paper of Le Ich Moc, the King was very surprised. The intelligent King with a poetic style of Le Dynasty had to say that: "Le Ich Moc's writings are many times better than other candidates". Admiring his literary talent, King Le Hien Tong asked him to read his writings in front of the new doctor of letters.
The image of the first Doctor Le Ich Moc gloriously returning to his hometown was depicted at the memorial area.
In 1527, Mac dynasty deposed Le dynasty, and Mac Dang Dung proclaimed himself the King. Admiring the talent and virtue of the first Doctor Le Ich Moc, Mac dynasty appointed him to hold the position of Ta Thi Lang. In response to the trust of King Mac Dang Dung, he devoted his talents and knowledge to helping the new dynasty, with the desire to fulfill his wish of helping the nation and people. However, after only a short time, the conflicts inside the Mac dynasty became more cutthroat, and he returned to his homeland as a scholar.
As a famous person with extensive education, and exemplary morality, Le Ich Moc taught the knowledge to students and local people. He not only taught his students, advised the villagers in production, and how to behave to keep peaceful villages, but also actively worked with Rang villagers to exploit the swamps along the river, and plant trees to develop forests. Le Ich Moc together with his students recruited exiled people to reclaim wasteland along the riverside, and expand villages to establish Quang Cu land area.
On February 15, 1538, Le Ich Moc passed away in his hometown at the age of 80, his grave is located in the ironwood forest of Quan Trang in Soi hamlet, Thanh Lang village. Over hundreds of years, the memorial house relic complex of the first Doctor Le Ich Moc has been ranked as a national historical and cultural relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information. The old ironwood forest of Quan Trang has been transformed into the public works of the village and the commune and was replaced with a lush green eucalyptus forest that whispers joyful sounds day and night.
The memorial area of the first Doctor Le Ich Moc in Quang Thanh Commune, Thuy Nguyen District, Hai Phong is recognized as a national historical and cultural relic.
The memorial house of the first Doctor Le Ich Moc
The tomb of the first Doctor was built on the mountain, surrounded by the scenery of his hometown
Local people and tourists from all over the world attend the festival and offer incense at the memorial area on the occasion of the 480th anniversary of the death of the first Doctor Le Ich Moc (Source: Hai Phong Newspaper)
In order to honor and preserve the relics associated with his life and career, for many years, Thuy Nguyen District has always preserved and embellished the memorial house relic complex of the first Doctor Le Ich Moc. Every year, Thuy Nguyen District solemnly organizes a festival to celebrate the death of the first Doctor Le Ich Moc to pay tribute to the merits and arouse the tradition of studiousness and the spirit of overcoming difficulties for the people; strengthen pride and sense of responsibility in preserving, protecting and promoting cultural heritage. The Temple of the first Doctor Le Ich Moc is now not only a sacred place of worshiping a studious example, but also a cultural destination for tourists from all over the world.