How expensive is the special painting painted with feet at Khai Dinh tomb?

Khai Dinh Tomb is considered the most expensive and luxurious construction among the tombs of feudal kings in Vietnam.

The mural "Nine dragons hidden in clouds". Photo: ITN

There are still many legends surrounding the construction of this project. Khai Dinh (1885 - 1925), whose birth name was Nguyen Phuc Buu Dao, was the 12th emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, reigning from 1916 to 1925. Like many other Nguyen Dynasty kings, immediately after ascending the throne, Khai Dinh was concerned about finding a resting place for himself.

Khai Dinh built the tomb

After 4 years on the throne, Khai Dinh began to build Ung Lang on Chau Chu hill, now in Thuy Bang (Huong Thuy, Thua Thien Hue ). Unlike other Nguyen Dynasty kings such as Minh Mang and Tu Duc, to decorate the tomb, Khai Dinh bought porcelain, glass, crystal from Japan, China, tiles, bricks from France, and mobilized all talented artisans from all over the country to Hue to build his tomb. The military governor Le Van Ba ​​was assigned to command the construction of Ung Lang. Construction began in September 1920 and lasted 11 years. Although Khai Dinh Tomb is small in size (117m x 48.5m), it took the longest time to complete, costing the most effort and money compared to other Nguyen Dynasty kings' tombs. To have money to build the tomb, Khai Dinh increased land taxes nationwide by up to 30%. Ung Lang has an architectural style that harmoniously blends Asian - European, classical and modern styles. Located in a rich and diverse natural area, surrounded by mountains, hills, and streams, creating a majestic natural landscape... These things help Khai Dinh Tomb become the most unique tomb among the tombs in our country. Right from the outside, the Tam Quan gate in front of the tomb stands out with its majestic and imposing architecture. The entrance to the tomb is through 37 steps. The pillars at the Tam Quan gate area are built in the Hindu style. From here, go up 29 more steps to reach the Nghi Mon area and Bai Dinh yard, where there are statues of courtiers and soldiers arranged in four symmetrical rows, all of which are carved with extremely sophisticated motifs. Thien Dinh Palace, located on the 5th floor, is the most unique area, showing the creativity, innovation and love of art of the tomb. In Thien Dinh Palace, there is Khai Thanh Palace, where the altar and the body of King Khai Dinh are placed.

Special painting

The architecture of Khai Thanh Palace is elaborate and sophisticated. In the middle of the palace is the main shrine, with a 1-ton Bao Tan made of reinforced concrete, yet elegant and soft. Above the palace is the painting "Cuu Long An Van" - 9 dragons hidden in the clouds. The painting was painted by the very famous artist Phan Van Tanh (Cuu Tanh) from Quang Dien district, Thua Thien Hue today. According to the book "Nine generations of lords, thirteen generations of kings of the Nguyen Dynasty": "To paint this masterpiece, artist Phan Van Tanh lay on his back close to the ceiling, using his two hands and two feet to hold four brushes, and holding another brush in his mouth to paint. Once, King Khai Dinh came and saw Phan Van Tanh using his feet to paint the picture. When he saw the king, everyone stopped working and bowed, but Mr. Tanh was still absorbed in painting on the ceiling. Khai Dinh thought that this man did not respect him. Even the dragon representing the king's power and authority was painted by him with his feet. Khai Dinh was angry and called Phan Van Tanh down to question him. When he got down, Mr. Tanh explained to the king: "The reason I did not come down to welcome the king was because it would take a lot of time and the project would not be completed as the king had proposed. The second reason I had to paint with my feet was because if I only painted the pictures on the ceiling with my hands, the distance from my hands to my eyes would be very close. To see the perfect light and dark shades of such a large-scale painting, one must draw with one's feet. One must look from afar to see it clearly." Khai Dinh looked up and saw on Cuu Tanh's 5 brushes, 5 dragons appearing and disappearing behind the clouds, lively and harmonious, it could be considered a masterpiece, truly a "1-0-2" painting. The King cleared his throat and said, "Cuu Tanh! If there were two Nine Dragons in this world, I would have taken their heads." Some anecdotes say that, at his peak, Mr. Tanh harmoniously and skillfully combined five brushes at the same time to create the famous painting. Another mystery is that, even though more than 100 years have passed, "Nine Dragons Hidden in the Clouds" still retains its original brightness and color. It is unknown what materials the ancients used to mix in to help the painting not be covered with dust or spider webs. Until now, the story of artisan Phan Van Tanh using his mouth and feet to paint the painting or why the painting is almost dust-free and spider web-free remains one of the mysteries for those interested in Khai Dinh Tomb. With its majestic and unique architecture, Khai Dinh Tomb has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage. Compared to other mausoleums that are still quite intact and have truly different architectures. Until now, Khai Dinh Tomb still has countless mysterious questions for researchers. Scientific research has no answer.

Khai Dinh was the eldest son of King Dong Khanh, like his father, he became king during the period when our country was colonized by the French. Famous for being a playful, pro-French king who listened to everything, Khai Dinh was hated by the people, and was sarcastically called the "ancestor" of flattery with the verse: "Rumor has it that Khai Dinh flattered the West/He is the master of this profession". After a period of serious illness, Khai Dinh passed away on November 6, 1925, at the age of 41, having been king of the Nguyen Dynasty for 10 years. Source: https://danviet.vn/buc-hoa-dac-biet-duoc-ve-bang-chan-o-lang-khai-dinh-ton-kem-ra-sao-20240723153330405.htm