The tradition of studiousness of the Nhu family

History records many children of the Nhu family who were studious, achieved high grades, were talented, virtuous and devoted all their efforts to serving the country and homeland.

The ancestor of the Nhu family was Doctor Nhu Van Lan, who passed the Royal examination in the year of Quy Mui, during the reign of Le Thanh Tong (1463), and became an official to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Finance. According to the family tree, the Nhu family originated from An Tu Ha village, Tien Minh district, Nam Sach prefecture, Hai Duong town (now Nam Tu village, Kien Thiet commune, Tien Lang district, Hai Phong). Mr. Nhu Van Lan was the maternal grandfather of Trang Trinh Nguyen Binh Khiem.

The Nhu family appeared in Hoach Trach village, Thai Hoc commune when the second son of Doctor Nhu Van Lan, Nhu Huyen Minh, who was the district chief of Luc Ngan, migrated here. Many generations later, the Nhu family continued to grow and develop its path to mandarinate.

The 7th generation had Nhu Tien Dung (born in 1623), at the age of 42 he passed the third class of the same doctorate in the year of Giap Thin (1664), and became an official with the position of Minister of Rites.

Doctor Nhu Dinh Hien, born in 1659, was the third son of Nhu Tien Dung. He was an intelligent man, at the age of 17 he passed the Huong Cong exam, at the age of 21 he passed the Tam Giap Dong Tien Si exam in Canh Than (1680). During his 36 years as an official, he held many different positions such as: Han Lam Vien Thao, Binh Khoa Cap Su Trung, Cong Bo Huu Thi Lang, Hinh Bo Thuong Thu... He was an honest and upright mandarin. Wherever he went, he investigated and found out the cause of the injustices of the people. According to legend and "Hoach Trach Nhu Tap Pha Ky" compiled by Nhu Dinh Toan, the third son of Mr. Nhu Dinh Hien: "Mr. Nhu Dinh Hien, during his diplomatic mission in 1698, learned the craft of making bamboo combs and instructed the villagers in the craft. Nhu Dinh Toan's younger brother, along with his father, helped the villagers in the craft and reserved 12 hectares of land granted by the king to use the profits for the common good of the village. 4 models for ancestral incense. Mr. and Mrs. Nhu Dinh Hien were honored by the villagers as the ancestors of the village's bamboo comb craft. In the early 19th century, the Hoach Trach comb craft was famous and recorded in local history.

Nhu Dinh Hien's son, Nhu Dinh Toan, took the regional exam at the age of 29 (ranked 2nd), the following year he was appointed as Cam Su Lang, and passed the Hoi Nguyen exam at the age of 34. After that, he passed the royal exam and became a Third Class Doctor. He went to Lang Son at the age of 37. The following year he went to suppress the rebels in Dong Dao, captured the rebels and was promoted to Can Thi Ta Lang, Han Lam Vien Hieu Thao. He held many different positions and worked until the age of 72.

Doctor Nhu Cong Chan, great-grandson of Mr. Nhu Tien Dung, was born in 1751. At the age of 22, he passed the second-class doctoral exam in the year of Nham Thin (1772), and became an official with the position of Han Lam Thi Che, Le Bo Huu Thi Lang.

According to the Hoach Trach Nhu family genealogy (documents archived at the Institute of Han Nom), the Nhu family temple was built about 300 years ago (in the 18th century) by Nhu Dinh Toan. The location before construction was the private residence of Nhu Dinh Hien. The temple was built with 3 front rooms, 3 back rooms made of ironwood, roofed with tiles.

As the church of a famous family, many generations have passed the imperial examinations and become mandarins in the court, so from the entrance gate to the back palace there are many parallel sentences and large characters praising the glorious tradition of the family. For example:

"The locust tree in the pavilion has ten thousand blessings and increases its production every year.

The big tree is full of colorful flowers every year.

Translation:

"The locust tree in front of the yard is growing and flourishing.

The thousand year old tree has beautiful flowers."

Or:

"The first class scholar in the old village

"Three-fold brocade hairpin"

Translation:

"An old scholar

Three leaves of the hairpin, a brocade necklace"

In the back palace, there is a statue of the Minister Nhu Tien Dung and his wife and two large inscriptions "Tu Hieu Duong" and "Hai Nhac Anh Tieu". In the church, there are also 31 royal decrees of the Le Dynasty and a genealogy book that records quite fully the genealogy and achievements of the great scholars. Based on the value of the relics and the biographies of the people worshiped, the Nhu family church was ranked as a national historical and cultural relic in 1993.

According to Mr. Nhu Dinh Hoach, head of the Nhu family, the church has undergone three renovations, the most recent in 2016 at a cost of more than 600 million VND.