Three royal tombs of the Nguyen dynasty

Three royal tombs of the Nguyen dynasty

The tombs of King Khai Dinh, Minh Mang or Tu Duc in Hue are unique, and monumental. They always attract visitors everyday.

1. Tu Duc Tomb

Tu Duc Tomb is one of the most beautiful buildings of the Nguyen Dynasty. The poet of Tu Duc (1848-1883) chose a place of rest, worthy of his position, in accordance with the preferences and aspirations of the most learned and profoundly educated man in the world.

Mausoleum is located in a narrow valley of Duong Xuan Thuong village, Cu Chanh general (now Thuong Ba village, Thuy Xuan commune, Hue city). This is one of best tourist attractions in Hue.

Being King in the context of difficult society, with enemies outside the country, and inside the fraternity brothers won the throne, the king himself is sick and has no children. In order to escape this harsh life, Tu Duc built this mausoleum as a second home for sorrow and as his tomb after passing away.

When the construction began, King Tu Duc named it Van Nien Co. But after the Chay Voi revolt initiated by Doan Huu Trung, the king changed his name to Khiem Cung, after the king died, called Khiem Lang.


The layout of the lagoon consists of two main parts, arranged on two vertical axes parallel to each other, together with Giang Chiem Mountain in the front as a forecaster, Duong Xuan Mountain as the back porch, Luu Khiem Lake as the main road.

Tu Duc Tomb likes a large park. There are streams all year round, pine trees, birds singing. The element that is fully respected in Tu Duc Tomb is the harmony of the lines. There are no straight roads, as angular as other architectures, instead the Bat Trang paved road starts from the Vu Khiem passing through Khiem Cung Mon and winding in front of the tomb, then suddenly hidden in the large porcelain trees near the tomb of Queen Le Thien Anh.

Nearly 50 structures in the tombs in both the area and the tomb are Khiem in the name. Going out of the Khiem and Son Temple shrines, visitors walk on the main road leading to the shrine area, where the former resting place, entertainment of the king. At first, Chi Khiem was on the left, where the king's wives worshiped. Next to the three stairs of stone bar leads to the Khiem Cung Mon - a two-storey structure as long as a first to the lake with Liu Khiem in front.

Inside Khiem Cung Mon is the area where the king rests whenever he comes. In the middle is Hoa Khiem electricity for the king to work, now the place of worship of the king and queen. The left and right, the French Dharma and the humble Vu ceremony for the martial arts. After Hoa Khiem Electricity is Luong Khiem, ancient place is the resting place of the king, later used to worship the spirit of Tu Du, the mother of King Tu Duc. Luong Khiem's ​​right is On Khiem Street - the place reserved. Especially, on the left side of Luong Khiem Opera House, there is the Minh Khiem Theater for the King to sing, considered one of Vietnam's oldest theaters.

There is a corridor from the Khmer Rouge that leads to the Khmer Rouge Palace and the Khmer Rouge Palace where the king lived, even when the king was alive as well as when the king died. Nearby is Tung Khiem Institute, Dung Khem Institute and the king's garden.With 36 years of reign, Tu Duc was the longest of the 13 Nguyen kings.

Minh Mang tomb

 
In February 1820 King Gia Long died, the fourth prince, Nguyen Phuc Dam, was put on the throne, earning the title Minh Mang. King Minh Mang was a great contributor to the country's expansion work, bringing Dai Nam to the strongest position in Southeast Asian nations at that time.

Being king for 7 years, Minh Mang ask people looking for land to build a shingle for themselves. Geographer Le Van Duc has chosen a good land in Cam Ky Mountain, near Bang Lang Fork, where confluence of two sources Ta Trach and Huu Trach to form the romantic Perfume River. But in 1440, the king decided to build his mausoleum in this place.

In the area covered by the 1,750 m long ring, an architectural complex of palaces, castles, and pavilions was laid out on a shaft along the 700 meter Shinto line, starting with the Great. Hongmen to the foot of the city after the king's grave. The shape of a tomb resting in a very comfortable position, knee up Kim Phung mountain, legs stretched to the confluence of three rivers in front, the two sides of Trung Minh Lake as the arms naturally surrender.

From the outside, the works are distributed on three parallel shafts with Shinto as the central axis.Between the architectural works are lotus lake and the hills covered with smooth pine, creating a landscape both charming and spectacular.

The head of Shinto is Hong Hong Mon, the main entrance to the tomb, built of brick lime, higher than 9 m, 12 m wide. The gate has three aisles with 24 low leaf roofs and a dragon carving project, long ... are considered typical of the Nguyen tripod gate. The gate is open only once to bring the king's coffin into the tomb, then closed, the door must go through two extra ports are Ta Hong Mon and Hugo Hong Mon. After the Great Hong Mon is Bai Dinh, paving the Bat Trang brick (45 × 45 m wide), the two sides have two martial arts, horse elephant stone stand. At the end of the courtyard is Bi Dinh located on Phung Than Son, inside of which is the "Thanh Thao Thien" stone statue of King Thieu Tri writing inscriptions on the biography and merit of his father.

In the altar of the king and Queen Ta Thien Nhan. Hoang Trach Mon is the end of the area implanted electricity, opening a space of flowers and water clouds behind. All realistic works seem to stop at the electrolysis area.

17 stone steps lead visitors to the blue sky cool trees and fragrant smell of wild flowers. Three bridges: Ta Phu (left), Middle Way (middle), Huu Bat (right) crossing the Trung Minh Lake as a blue silk, bringing visitors to Minh Lau - a project like the start from the hill named Tam Son Son.This square, two-story, eight-story building is a symbol of Oriental philosophy. The two sides of Minh Lau, on the back are two majestic pillars erected on Binh Son and Thanh Son meaning that the king had "peace of merit" before returning to eternity.

Passing through the Bridge of Tightness across the Lake Tan Nguyet has 33 levels to take visitors to the resting place of the king, located in the heart of a hill named Revelation Son, limited by Buu Thanh circle.

The sides of the mausoleum have many works symmetrically in pairs. Unfortunately, the time and rainy winds destroyed them so today Hue tourists to visit no longer see the beautiful palaces and pavilions nestled between the trees, the night reflected the blue lake.

Khai Dinh mausoleum

Khai Dinh (1916-1925) was the 12th king of the Nguyen Dynasty and was the last to build a mausoleum, preparing for the "departure" of a king at the feudal period of feudalism.

Stepping into the throne at the age of 31, Khai Dinh was engrossed in building palaces, palaces and mausoleums for himself and his royal family, such as Kien Trung Palace, An Dinh Palace, Truong An Gate, Hien Nhon Door, Germany, especially U Lang. These works cost a lot of manpower and wealth of the people, but it is also a work of cultural value and art.

After consulting many of the monks of the district, Khai Dinh Chau Chue mountain (also known as Chau E) as a location to build a tomb. Situated at this location, the tomb of Khai Dinh took a low hill in front of the court; Take the mounts of Mount Vung and Kim Son in front of the "Dragon fruit" and "White Tiger"; There is an Eu slot from left to right to "hydro-condensate", called "clear road". The king changed the name Chau Chue mountain - both post-occipital, as well as the "surface" of the mausoleum - Ung Son wall and called the tomb by the mountain name: Ung Lang.

The construction started on September 4, 1920 and lasted for 11 years.

Khai Dinh for people to France to buy iron, steel, cement, Ardoise tile ... for the boat to China, Japan buy porcelain, colored glass ... to build the project. Compared to the tombs of the previous kings, Khai Dinh Tomb has a very modest area: 117 × 48.5 m but extremely elaborate and time consuming.The infiltration of many schools of architecture: Hinduism, Buddhism, Romanism, Gothique ... have left their mark on concrete works: pyramidal pyramids from Hindu architecture; the stupa of the Buddha; the fence as the cross; brewery with octagonal pillars and arches in the Roman style ... This is the result of two factors: the East-West cultural interference in the turn of history and the character of Khai Dinh.

The master of the art masterpieces in Khai Dinh tomb is Phan Van Tanh, the author of the three largest "Cuu Long" murals of Vietnam decorated on the ceiling. 3 rooms in the middle of Thien Dinh. Thanks to his contributions and talented folk tales of Vietnam, Khai Dinh Tomb has become the symbol, the culmination of the art of porcelain and glass.