TOMBS OF THE NGUYEN DYNASTY. Near the right bank of the River of Perfumes, as it flow peacefully towards the City of Hue, lie the seven Royal Tombs of the Nguyen Kings, dotted here and there between the river and the mountains, among pine forests in a setting of hills, orchards and lakes. All these monuments share the characte- ristics of solemnity and simplicity, especially the tombs of Gia-Long Minh-Mang and Tu-Duc. They are at once harmonious and attractive, fulfilling the goal of "naturalizing architecture and architecturalizing Nature". The tomb of Gia-Long, situated in a spacious natural park of pine trees covering over 200 hectares, exudes an impressive beauty and mild charm. That of Ming-Mang, set in more than 25 hectares, inspires an atmosphere of majesty and solemnity. While Tu-Duc' s Tomb one of the most successful examples of Vietnamese landscape art, casts a discreet and poetic spell, so romantic that it prompted Charles Patris to utter his famous remark that "Here is the place where sorrow smiles and joy sighs". All these tombs are built within wide and verdant enclosures, together with temples, yards and esplanades, shrines, palaces and service buildings, even theaters and lodging for royal concubines - all these laid out among ornamental ponds with islets and pleasure pavilions. The front gate of each tomb has an imposing air but, on entering,one feels a pervasive melancholy, an absent-minded quietitude. The visitor could easily forget that this is the work of Man, so skillful is it laid out among Nature. It seems that such careful attention was paid to detail, such as contrast between the two stone dragons in the tomb of Minh-Mang; The female dragon' s eyes are so kind, mild and calm, as if she want to say. "I know of all that is happening in this windy, stormy life. But my weapon is my kindness and humanity". But in the robust appearance of the male, one can easily recognize its readiness to fight. SUMMARY OF TOMB OF THE NGUYEN DYNASTY * - The emperors of the last dynasty rest in tombs scattered along the banks of the River of Perfumes to the west of Hue. These Tombs could be regarded as the most remarkable edifices of Hue. * - According to the traditional theory of the creation of the universe, the earth could be connect with Heaven only by way of the royal world, which was the ladder between them, the axis and pivot of universe, the source of time and space. That was why the erection of Royal Tombs was an important matter. In the particular, the selection of the site had to be according to the most favorable geomagnetic conditions, since, according togeomagnetic theory, the future happiness of the dynasty would depend on that choice. On the other hand, as the cosmos could be not only imagined , but actually made present in any space, conforming to geomagnetic laws, the construction of the tomb was never conceived independently, but in close relation to the landscape around it. Ethics created aesthetics: the Imperial tomb forms part of a whole covering a vast area, with buildings laids out in parks planted with various species of trees, where the architecture is more intimately linked to the natural context than anywhere else. The greatest emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty were also great artists who knew how to connect their tombs with nature, with marvelous sense of landscape and effect. * - Astrological and geomagnetic consideration, together with the Buddhist conception of death as a mere return to another world of eternity, made the emperors of the Nguyen dynasty themselves choose, often in their lifetimes, the site of their ultimate resting places. * - Building that make up this funerary architecture hardly differ from secular structures. The following elements can be commonly seen in the dynastic tombs. * - A flag-paved courtyard of honor, "path of the spirit" flanked all along by sculptures of caparisoned elephants and horses, and statues of mandarins, both civil and military. * - A pavilion sheltering the funeral stele which relates the principal events of the deceased emperor's reign and often expresses his conception of government (especially in the case of Tu-Duc, who himself composed the text of his stele). This kind of stele is massive monolith, reposing on a stone table, all adorned with carving. * - Temple of the cult of the deceased sovereign, a veritable museum of personal possessions, where are kept the mortuary tablets of the king and his legitimate wife. * - Tiered terraces used for ritual ceremonies on festive days. * - The tomb proper, called by the king Tu-Duc "deep palace", in a sacred enclosure bounded by a wall with a bronze gate. * - Appended buildings erected either to the memory of the ancestors, and/or the persons in charge of the cult. * - Pavilions to house the king's wives after his death, when they went into mourning according to strict rules. * - Pavilion were built to be used as resting pavilions when the king came to watch the construction of his last abode, for each of the emperors took a personal interest in the building of his sepulcher. In TU-DUC s tomb, even a theater was constructed. * - These buildings, with their courtyards and esplanades, are situated in spacious enclosures, among gardens and artificial lakes. In this harmonious environmental, where verdure blends with water amidst deep silence, it s not the morbid feeling of death which is evoked, but rather a perfect serenity, inner as well as external. * - Although each royal tomb had a basically similar arrange- ment of buildings, each exercises its own particular charm. TOMB OF EMPEROR GIA-LONG (1802-1820) * - Gia-Long first emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. * - Construction begun in 1814 * - Completed after Gia-Long death * - Situated in an immense natural park of pine trees. * - The stone coffin has a sloping roof and standards beside that of his wife. This style of coffin is unique and cannot be found elsewhere in traditional Vietnamese funereal architecture. TOMB OF EMPEROR MINH-MANG (1820-1840) * - Minh-Mang: second emperor, the fourth son of Gia-Long. * - Site was chosen and plan drawn while Minh-Mang, who loved architecture and literature and was talented in both, was still alive. However, actual construction began in 1841 after his death and was completed two years later. * - situated on the left bank of the River of Perfumes, the tomb is set in the pine forest. From the river, the whole scene is hidden by rows of enormous banyan trees. * - A first brick wall 3 m. high, 0.5 m thick, encircles the royal tomb. On the east side opens a three-doored portico. On either side of the courtyard, two lions cast in gilt bronze, many stone mandarins of different ranks and two elephants make up the guard of this necropolis. * - Three granite staircases with dragonshaped banisters lead to two terraces. There is a square pavilion sheltering the marble stele which tells of the feats and virtues of the emperor. * - Descending a few steps, then climbing up to a three- arched portico with lacquered red and golden boards, one reaches the "Mound of Worship". At the far end, is the "Hall of the Reverenced Bounty" wherein are displayed the tablets for the cult of the emperor and empress. Once out of this place, one reaches the "Lake of Pure Clarity", spanned by three parallel bridges. On the other side, climbing up a triple staircase passing through three terraced courts lined by openwork balusters, one reaches the "Mound of the Three Elements" (Heaven, Earth, and Man). On the upper terrace is built the "Palace of the Visiting Light" in front of which the flowerbeds of a garden trace the Chinese character 'tho' meaning "longevity". * - Further on, one crosses a stone bridge with wrought iron balusters, spanning a crescent pool named "Lake of the Waxing Moon" At the both ends of the bridge have been erected bronze porticoes, each with four columns encircled by coiling dragons Between the columns are enameled panels with representations symbolizing the four seasons, on a colored background and with inscriptions in golden characters. * - Finally, one ascends a great staircase with dragon-shaped banisters, leading to the bronze door of the tomb proper, which symbolizes the sun. It is buried in a mound covered with brambles and pine trees, and the precious precinct is encircled by a wall. * - Minh-Mang was the only king who adopted a ground plan rigorously symmetrical in principle elements of his tombs along a central axis. Annexed buildings were located on surrounding hills, separated from the central meridian by the "Lake of Pure Clarity" and "Lake of the Waxing Moon" TOMB OF EMPEROR THIEU-TRI (1841-1848) * - Construction began in 1847 and was completed in 1848. * - Thieu-Tri: third emperor, a son of Minh-Mang * - Note the absence of the traditional wall. Via a wide avenue,lined with stone statues representing mandarins and animals, one has access to the main edifices. On the right: a stretch of water with a screen to the south. In front: a bronze portico,crowned with enameled motifs, a courtyard, and three successive terraced courts with a few steps between them, leading to a huge door opening onto the sacred pagoda. * - To the left, another stretch of water, another screen, a portico built in the same style as the former, then the court- yard with a pavilion and its stele, carved on one face only. A few steps more and one reaches a second pavilion with its garden. Further away, descending a few steps, one faces a lake crossed by three stone bridges with openwork parapets and then fine, tall porticoes. The stairs, decorated with carved dragons,lead to the bronze door of the precincts wherein the emperor is buried. TOMB OF EMPEROR TU-DUC (1848-1883) * - Tu-Duc: fourth emperor * - One of the most perfect achievement of Vietnam's landscape art. * - Built from 1864-1867 * - Being a man of literature, a poet and of scholarly character,Tu-Duc wrote and edited large volumes of Vietnam' s history and geography. * - He left a stele in his own tomb, the text of which he composed himself about the principal events of his reign and his conception of government. * - In contrast to Minh-Mang tomb's, Tu-Duc has two different axes. Along the principal axis are disposed the different monuments which comprise the tomb complex. They are courtyard of honor, which constitutes the path of the spirit, the pavilion of the stele in the middle of a large flag-paved court- yard, the crescent lake which represents the moon accompanying the sun; the tomb proper. The different edifices devoted to the cult of Tu-Duc are laid out along the other axis of the palace, which lies adjacent to the tomb. TOMB OF EMPEROR KHAI-DINH (1916-1925) * - Khai-Dinh: 12th Emperor, a son Dong-Khanh and father of Bao- Dai, the last emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. * - Construction began in 1920 and it was not until 1931, the sixth year of the reign of Bao-Dai, that the work was completed. * - The tomb offers striking contrast to the traditional style. * - Built entirely of stone and concrete and magnificently decorated with skill-fully-arranged porcelain postsherds and multi-colored glass fragments, the tomb is a unique edifice which bears witness to the exceptional talents of the Vietnamese artisans of the turn of the century. * - On either side of the courtyard is the traditional line of statues of civil and military officers, solders, elephants and horses. Then one comes to the pavilion sheltering the stone marker upon which the important events of the emperor' s life are recorded. * - The tomb is a massive monument, built above three terraces against a hill slope in a wood of pine trees. On the ground floor, dug in the flank of the hill itself, right in the axis of the altar, is the burial vault, sealed by a double-leafed door. * - The different rooms have high ceilings and walls decorated with high reliefs of color mosaics of crockery and glass, representing landscapes and dragons. * - On the upper floor, in front of the altar which bears the name of the reigning emperor, a life-sized statue of the king, cast in gilt bronze, sits in imperial majesty with royal insignias, the hands resting on a jade scepter.
