"Hue Imperial City" in miniature in the heart of Thanh Hoa

Trieu Tuong Mausoleum and Temple Relic Site (Gia Mieu village, Ha Long commune, Ha Trung district, Thanh Hoa province) is about 35 km north of Thanh Hoa city. In the past, this land belonged to Thuong Ban commune, Tong Son district, Ha Trung prefecture, Thanh Hoa town. This is considered a "noble land", later it was the resting place of Trieu To Tinh Hoang De Nguyen Kim, father of Nguyen Hoang - the one who expanded the territory to the South.

Panoramic view of Trieu Tuong mausoleum - a miniature " Hue citadel" in the heart of Thanh Hoa today

Remembering the merits of our ancestors

According to history books, in 1802, Nguyen Phuc Anh (11th generation descendant of Nguyen Kim) unified the two regions of Dang Trong and Dang Ngoai, ascended the throne, named the reign Gia Long, and took the national name Viet Nam. During his tour of Bac Ha, King Gia Long returned to the ancestral land of Gia Mieu to pay homage to his ancestors, posthumously honoring Nguyen Kim as Trieu To Tinh Hoang De. At the same time, King Gia Long ordered the construction of Phuong Co foundation, built Truong Nguyen mausoleum (Trieu Tuong mausoleum) to worship Trieu To right at the foot of Thien Ton mountain.

For the Nguyen Dynasty kings, there was always a mausoleum (burial place) with a temple attached as a place of worship. Therefore, Trieu Tuong temple was later built (nearly 1 km from Trieu Tuong mausoleum) in a flat field in Gia Mieu village.

Trieu Tuong Temple after being restored and embellished

The Indochina Yearbook records that "Quy Huong village, Tong Son district, Ha Trung prefecture is famous as the cradle of the contemporary dynasty. Temples and towers worshiping the former kings were built here, surrounded by brick walls, protected by ramparts, made exactly like a small citadel, that is Ton Thanh or also known as Trieu Tuong".

Trieu Tuong temple area has an area of about 5 hectares, has a solid wall, surrounded by a moat, a brick bridge, and two layers of ramparts, so it is likened to a small citadel. The south gate has a watchtower, a three-entrance gate, and behind it is a crescent-shaped lotus pond.

Inside the mausoleum worshiping An Thanh Marquis Nguyen Kim and Lord Nguyen Hoang

The temple is divided into three areas. The central area is the Nguyen Temple, worshiping Trieu To Tinh Hoang De Nguyen Kim and Thai To Gia Du Hoang De Nguyen Hoang. The eastern area worships Trung Quoc Cong Nguyen Van Luu (father of Nguyen Kim) and Ly Nhan Cong Nguyen Han (son of Nguyen Hoang). The western area is the military barracks and houses of the servants of the officials who look after the mausoleum.

The entire structure faces the South. Every year, on the occasion of the Five-Huong festival and other festivals as prescribed by the court, Thanh Hoa province officials obey orders to perform ceremonies according to the customs of the temples in Hue Citadel. At the same time, many Nguyen Dynasty kings such as Gia Long, Minh Mang, Thieu Tri, Thanh Thai, and Khai Dinh, after ascending the throne, returned to offer incense and pay respect to their ancestors.

Photo taken by the French from the air before 1945. Photo: archive

"Hue Imperial City" in miniature

Through the vicissitudes of history, Trieu Tuong mausoleum was leveled, leaving only traces of the foundation. Through archaeological excavations, we have provided an overview of the scale, type, architectural style as well as the construction area, the authenticity of the relic as well as clarified part of the construction techniques of Trieu Tuong mausoleum relic.

The outer part is surrounded by ramparts and moats; the inner part is surrounded by walls, divided into different areas and with Nguyen Mieu as the center. The architectural plan shows the standard and symmetry between the works. At the same time, initial comparison can see that this relic has similarities with The Mieu in Hue citadel. Because if The Mieu is the place to worship the Nguyen kings and lords, then Trieu Tuong mausoleum is the place to worship the ancestors of the Nguyen Dynasty in their homeland, combined with the burial place of Nguyen Kim (Trieu To Tinh Hoang De).

Truong Nguyen Mausoleum on Thien Ton Mountain

With the values of the relic, in 2007, Trieu Tuong mausoleum was ranked as a National Historical Relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism). Currently, Trieu Tuong mausoleum relic has been and is being restored on the old foundation, based on archaeological results and remaining documentary photos from the French colonial period. Since then, the appearance of a miniature "Hue ancient capital" has gradually appeared on Gia Mieu land.

According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Luan (15th generation descendant of Nguyen Cong Duan), the caretaker of Trieu Tuong mausoleum, in 1802, Nguyen Anh ascended the throne, and in 1803, he built Trieu Tuong mausoleum to worship the ancestors of the Nguyen dynasty. "Over time and historical events, the temple was damaged and abandoned. In 2007, the mausoleum was recognized as a national relic, and in 2009, archaeology was conducted, and the structures were restored on the old foundations, with the same size and height as in the past. The architecture of the structures has special value in terms of architectural art and sculpture as it bears the appearance of the ancient capital of Hue" - Mr. Luan said.

Gia Mieu Communal House (right next to Trieu Tuong mausoleum) is the place to worship the tutelary god Nguyen Cong Duan and those with meritorious services in the clan.

According to Mr. Luan, the Trieu Tuong mausoleum relic site has great historical value, because the Nguyen Dynasty had the merit of unifying the country, especially expanding the territory to the South and the sacred sea and islands of the fatherland. "Therefore, to be worthy of those achievements, we hope that the state will pay more attention and soon implement the restoration of the works to complete them as before to promote historical values, develop tourism, and educate about traditions" - Mr. Luan said.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Luan (15th generation descendant of Nguyen Cong Duan), the caretaker of Trieu Tuong Temple, next to a photo of the restored temple before 1945.

The caretaker of Trieu Tuong mausoleum also said that in addition to Trieu Tuong mausoleum, in 1806 King Gia Long also built Gia Mieu communal house to worship the tutelary god Nguyen Cong Duan and those who had meritorious deeds in the family. The communal house is a few hundred meters away from the mausoleum, with a wooden architecture and a construction area of nearly 375 square meters.

It is known that the Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee has decided to restore and embellish the Trieu Tuong mausoleum and Gia Mieu communal house on an area of about 28 hectares, with a total investment of nearly 500 billion VND. However, the restoration and embellishment are currently interrupted due to lack of capital.

"Hue Imperial City" in miniature in Thanh Hoa

The noble land where the Nguyen Dynasty originated

According to historical records, in 1527, Mac Dang Dung usurped the throne of the Le dynasty and established the Mac dynasty. A number of close associates of the Le dynasty discussed and gathered heroes from all over the country to flee to Sam Chau - the Thanh Hoa region bordering Laos to establish a base to support the Le dynasty and destroy the Mac dynasty. Among them was An Thanh Marquis Nguyen Kim (the fourth generation descendant of the founding hero of Binh Ngo Nguyen Cong Duan, from Gia Mieu).

Nguyen Kim then found King Le Chieu Tong's son, Le Duy Ninh, in Thanh Hoa and brought him to Ai Lao to establish him as king, naming him Nguyen Hoa (King Le Trang Tong, reigned 1533-1548), starting the restoration of the Le dynasty. Nguyen Kim was trusted by the king and appointed as Grand Tutor, Grand Duke, and Head of Internal and External Affairs to help destroy the Mac and regain his career.

However, in the year At Ty (1545), Nguyen Kim was poisoned to death by the Mac Dynasty general Duong Chap Nhat, who pretended to surrender, at the age of 78. King Le mourned, posthumously bestowed the title Chieu Huan Tinh Cong, and with great ceremony had his body returned to Thien Ton mountain for burial.

More than 300 years later, when Nguyen Anh ascended the throne (1802) and unified the country, the Nguyen Dynasty publicly opened the tomb of Nguyen Kim and his wife, the first queen Nguyen Thi Mai (Trieu To Tinh Hoang Hau) in Thien Ton area (in Ha Long commune, Ha Trung district today).

Source