Hue people commemorate the event of 'fall of the capital' in 1885

Early in the morning of July 11 (May 24th of the lunar calendar), the Hue Monuments Conservation Center held the 2023 Soul Worship Ceremony at the Soul Worship Altar (Ong Ich Khiem Street, Thuan Hoa Ward, Hue City) to commemorate the compatriots and soldiers who lost their lives in the fall of the capital in 1885.

Người Huế tưởng nhớ sự kiện 'thất thủ kinh đô' năm 1885 - Ảnh 1. — Leaders of Hue Monuments Conservation Center offer sacrifices in the Soul Worship Ceremony

The ceremony was restored according to the traditional rituals of the Nguyen Dynasty recorded in the Royal Records under King Thanh Thai.

The Am Hon Altar was established by the Nguyen Dynasty on Ong Ich Khiem Street (Thuan Hoa Ward, Hue City) in 1894, under the reign of King Thanh Thai. This is a place to worship and pay homage to the souls of officials, soldiers, and people who died in the fall of the capital Hue on July 5, 1885 (ie May 23, At Dau year).

Người Huế tưởng nhớ sự kiện 'thất thủ kinh đô' năm 1885 - Ảnh 2. — Representatives of village elders bring offerings to the ceremony.

Besides the ceremony at the Am Hon altar, people in the inner city wards of Hue also set up a number of Am Hon temples to worship on the anniversary of the fall of the capital.

Every year, Hue people celebrate the “Fall of the Capital” ceremony for 7 days, from the 23rd to the 30th of the 5th lunar month. During that week, every family in Hue, depending on the day the head of the family chooses, holds a very solemn and meaningful death anniversary ceremony. Hue people call this death anniversary “worshiping the souls”.

Người Huế tưởng nhớ sự kiện 'thất thủ kinh đô' năm 1885 - Ảnh 3. — The ceremony was restored according to the traditional ritual recorded in the Nguyen Dynasty's Royal Records under Thanh Thai's reign.

In the ceremony, the indispensable thing is the procedure of lighting a fire to warm the souls of the dead. This is also the fire that the people kindle to preserve patriotism and not let it die out under any circumstances.

The fall of the capital in 1885 was a tragic historical event, an unequal battle between the Nguyen Dynasty's army and the French colonialists with modern equipment. The war occurred because the Nguyen Dynasty's army was on the war side, refusing to accept the French colonial rule; Ton That Thuyet commanded and launched an attack on the French forces.

Người Huế tưởng nhớ sự kiện 'thất thủ kinh đô' năm 1885 - Ảnh 4. — The offering tray includes traditional Hue dishes.

The French army was surprised but still held the defensive and then counterattacked, turning the capital city of Hue into a battlefield with tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians losing their lives. At the end of the war, the capital city of Hue fell, King Ham Nghi and his entourage fled to Tan So ( Quang Tri ) to set up a base, and issued a call for help against the French.

The fall of the capital was a tragic historical milestone for the nation, opening a dark period for the Nguyen Dynasty under the complete control of French colonialism, lasting until the success of the August Revolution in 1945.

Người Huế tưởng nhớ sự kiện 'thất thủ kinh đô' năm 1885 - Ảnh 5. — Ceremonial music team

The organization of the Soul Worship Ceremony not only shows respect for rituals and ethics but also serves as a reminder of a historical lesson of the country. Remembering and showing gratitude to the deceased is a humanistic morality of the nation, creating the origin, strength of solidarity, and cultural identity of the Vietnamese people and the people of Hue.

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