Amidst the majestic space of Hue Imperial City, the nine giant cannons (nine cannons) solemnly placed at The Mieu Temple and in front of Ngo Mon Gate have long become famous treasures, associated with the power and ideology of the Nguyen Dynasty.
The nine cannons are not only masterpieces of bronze casting art but are also considered "gods" protecting the nation, symbolizing the prosperity and stability of the royal court.
After overthrowing the Tay Son dynasty and ascending the throne, King Gia Long ordered the confiscated bronze artifacts of this dynasty to be gathered, melted down, and cast into nine large guns to "keep as eternal memories."
The Nguyen Dynasty's national history states that this set of cannons was cast in Hue within 12 months, from February 1803 to January 1804. Workers from the Ministry of Public Works and soldiers from the Ministry of War carried out this work.
The nine cannons are divided into two groups. The "Four Seasons" group includes four cannons: Spring-Summer-Autumn-Winter and the "Five Elements" group includes five cannons: Metal-Wood-Water-Fire-Earth. Previously, the nine cannons were placed in front of Ngo Mon - the main gate of the Imperial City, in two rows of artillery workshops; now they are placed at The Nhon Gate (Ngan Gate) and Quang Duc Gate (Sap Gate) of Hue Citadel.
Each cannon is 5.1m long with an inner diameter of 22.5cm; the body is engraved with many elaborate decorative details and short texts about the origin of the cannon. The handle of the cannon is engraved with the name and rank of each cannon, such as the Xuan cannon which is known as "The first of the nine divine powers"... On the support pillow is engraved an article about how to mix gunpowder.
The nine guns are all very large in size and weight, each gun weighs an average of 11,000 kg. Each gun is placed on a very elaborately carved wooden stand. On both sides of the stand are four iron-rimmed wooden wheels for easy movement. The gun body is engraved with letters and decorative patterns.
In addition to the name of the gun and the year of Gia Long 3 (1804), the gun body is also engraved with the weight of each gun in Vietnamese pounds (the heaviest gun weighs 18,400 pounds, the lightest gun weighs 17,200 pounds). Symmetrically opposite each weight on each gun is a short essay stating the reason for casting the gun and how to make the gunpowder to shoot it.
In addition, there are decorative patterns of flowers and leaves and two large handles in the shape of two very sophisticated unicorns. The guns are also engraved with the names of the people who supervised the casting of these guns: General Nguyen Van Khiem, Commander Hoang Van Can, Commander Cai Van Hieu and Minister of Public Works Phan Tien Can.
The Nine Cannons are considered a masterpiece of sculpture, demonstrating the pinnacle of metallurgy and bronze casting art and techniques in the Nguyen Dynasty. After more than 200 years, the Nine Cannons still exist almost intact, present as an important part of the cultural heritage system of Hue city. For Hue people and tourists, they are not only artifacts, but also the cultural quintessence, intelligence and spirit of the Vietnamese people under feudalism.
On October 1, 2012, the nine cannons were recognized by the Prime Minister as a National Treasure of Vietnam./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/cuu-vi-than-cong-tuyet-tac-nghe-thuat-duc-dong-cua-trieu-nguyen-post1080836.vnp
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