Sketches by architect Tran Thai Nguyen
In 1874, Truong Vinh Ky was recognized by the world as a "linguist" for his fluency in 26 languages. Furthermore, Petrus Ky is considered the father of Vietnamese journalism. He founded the first newspaper written in the Vietnamese Quốc ngữ script: Gia Dinh newspaper, launched in 1865.
The triple-arched gate with three tiered roofs of the Petrus Ký mausoleum - a sketch by architect Trần Anh Tuấn.
Built on his family's land, according to many documents, the tomb of Petrus Ký was designed by him in a style combining Eastern and Western influences (*).
Sketches by architect Linh Hoang
Viewed from Tran Binh Trong Street, behind is Cho Quan Monastery - a sketch by architect Linh Hoang.
Petrus Ký was a Catholic, so his tomb has a cruciform floor plan (a common floor plan for European Catholic churches). The tomb has three arched entrances. The columns and walls are grooved horizontally and decorated with cornices. Above the entrance facing Tran Hung Dao Street is the Latin inscription: "Miseremini Mei Saltem vos Amici Mei" (Have mercy on me, at least my friends). Above the entrance facing Tran Binh Trong Street is the Latin inscription: "Fons Vitae Eruditio Possidentis" (Knowledge is the source of life for those who possess it).
Sketch by Vo Tin Dat
Sketch by architect Bui Hoan
The triple-arched gate at the Petrus Ký mausoleum - a sketch by architect Trần Xuân Hồng.
The East Asian influence is evident in many aspects. The main gate (facing Tran Hung Dao Street) is designed in the style of a three-arched gate commonly seen in Vietnamese temples and pagodas (a large main gate in the middle, two side gates, and a three-tiered tiled roof above). The tomb has a roof covered with fish-scale tiles, and the ridge is decorated with stylized dragon figures in relief. On either side of the windows are pairs of couplets in Chinese characters. On the ceiling is a dragon-horse (horse body, dragon head) facing east…
Sketches by fashion designer Le Quang Khanh
Graphic design by architect Bui Hoang Bao
The tombs of Petrus Ký, his wife, and his child are all laid flat on the ground - a sketch by architect Linh Hoàng.
Inside the mausoleum are an altar and a bust of Petrus Ký in a traditional Vietnamese long robe and headscarf. There are three graves here: Petrus Ký himself, his wife Vương Thị Thọ, and their son Trương Vĩnh Thế, all buried underground, leveled with the surrounding ground.
Le Hong Phong High School (District 5) was formerly named Petrus Ky. Currently, there is also a Truong Vinh Ky street in Tan Phu District.
(*): Based on joint Vietnamese-French documents, the content of the Chinese and Latin inscriptions on the structure, and the personality of scholar Petrus Ký, a fairly reasonable hypothesis suggests that the tomb was built around 1928.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lang-cua-nha-bac-hoc-viet-nam-thong-thao-den-26-ngon-ngu-185250118221929321.htm
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