Old-Time Vietnam – The Co Ha Gardens and Dynastic Urns
The Co Ha Gardens
After asking for some directions, I found the Co Ha Gardens. These gardens were developed by the first four Emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty. Although, at some point in history, they fell into disrepair, the Vietnamese have restored most of them. Supposedly, there used to be some buildings for the princes to study in, but none of that remains now. The garden space, however, stands beautifully with carefully landscaped plants, ponds and pagodas.
This environment was most pleasant for a momentary rest. The touring of the first part of the morning was quite a bit of work. I picked a pagoda, and since there was a café there, I ordered coffee. Despite my best efforts, I could not convey the “little milk” that I wanted. The coffee turned up too sweet.
I savored the garden space before me for perhaps only a moment. Then I had to come up with next steps. From the Co Ha Gardens, it would have been a perfect departure via the Palace’s eastern exit to the restaurant that I wanted to try. That meant I would conclude my time at the Imperial Enclosure at that point. The ticket of đ530,000 gave me access to the royal tombs of Tu Duc, Minh Mang and Khai Dinh, but only within the same day. Therefore I must allow time for all of them in the afternoon.
After some debate, I decided to head south again, back into the Palace. I had yet to visit the Royal Theatre and the Dynastic Urns. Even with most of the buildings in the Imperial Enclosure destroyed, it took a long time to tour what remained standing and to learn some lessons about the Nguyen Dynasty of Vietnam.
The Royal Theatre (Duyet Thi Dhong)
I knew the Royal Theatre by the din and gongs of the occasion. I did not think it was any kind of performance, but rather a procession with religious purpose. The Vietnamese music was new to me.
The Royal Theatre was constructed during Minh Mang’s reign in 1826. The people of Vietnam revered Minh Mang as an open-minded, people-caring and learned emperor (more later, as I visited his royal tomb). The theatre served the Emperor, the royal family and the convoys with Tuong performances, which were classical dramas. At some point during the mid 20th century, this site was used for the training of cultural performances.
There are still traditional Vietnamese performances there today, as with in the past. Watch out for performance times and there is an additional fee for watching them.
The Nine Dynastic Urns of the Nguyen Dynasty (Cuu Dinh Thrieu Nguyen)
Emperor Minh Mang ordered the casting of these nine majestic bronze urns to commemorate the first nine emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty. They were then cast between the years 1835 and 1837.
The one in the middle of the nine is the most ornate, as it commemorates the Founding Emperor of Nguyen Dynasty, Gia Long. Each of the urn bears the posthumous title for the respective Emperor. The Cao urn of 1835 commemorating Gia Long has the name “Cao” meaning height. It weighs 2,604kg as the most prominent urn out of the nine.
Photo: the Cao Urn commemorates Founding Emperor Gia Long.
Notes of the carving: The top row: dragon, jackfruit tree; non-glutinous rice; onion; crepe myrtle; pheasant. The middle row: Cao urn; East sea; Vinh Te canal; the sun; Ben Nghe river; Thien Ton mountain. The bottom row: eruthrophleum fordii Oliver; tiger; sailboat; cannon; Aquilaria crassna pierre; soft-shelled turtle.
Standing at 6 feet high and weighing tonnes, these urns reflect the best craftsmanship of Vietnam at the time.
“Each of them features intricately engraved details (mostly landscape scenes), eulogizing the beauty and uniqueness of Vietnam. Traces of bullet impact can still be seen on some of them.” Lonely Planet on Vietnam p. 307.
As with many other features of the Imperial Enclosure, these nine urns are also testament to the Vietnamese royalties’ respect of ancient China. The existence of the nine urns certainly echoes the nine urns of the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, which were the earliest Chinese dynasties (during the Bronze Age) in history. During this time in the 19th Century, bronze was a particularly precious metal in Vietnam.
The three-storied structure right at the courtyard of the Nine Dynastic Urns is the Famous Soul Porch, (Hien Lam Cac), built in 1821. At three stories this building is the tallest one within the Imperial Enclosure. There was also an imperial order that it remains the tallest building in the Palace.
The The Mieu and Hung Mieu Compound
Opposite the urns is the The Mieu (The Temple of Generations). Again, Emperor Minh Mang ordered the construction of this temple for the purpose of dynastic ancestral worship. The altars enshrining the Nguyen Dynasty Emperors stand within this temple.
However, during the French Occupation of 1884-1954, only seven emperors were enshrined here. The French did not allow anti-French Nguyen Emperors. Emperors Ham Nghi, Thanh Thai and Duy Tan, who were known to be patriotic, were added here only in 1959.
I have also stopped by the Hung Mieu (one of the Temples of the Ancestors), which originally enshrines the father of the Founding Emperor Gia Long, Nguyen Phuc Luan and his lady. The War of Independence between the French and the Vietnamese destroyed the original structure in 1947. In 1951, the mother of the last Emperor Bao Dai paid for the reconstruction of this temple.
During the death anniversaries of the Nguyen Emperors, the Nguyen Court would hold procession here to commemorate the ancestors. An interesting fact is that attendance by women were forbidden in these temples, the Empress herself was no exception.
After visiting the Dynastic Urns and the ancestral temples, I felt that I have seen enough of the Imperial Palace of Hue. I hurried over to a much-needed lunch at Banh Khoai Hong Mai.
Sources
Historical descriptions on site.
The Lonely Planet on Vietnam.
Duyet Thi Duong: The Oldest Theatre of Vietnam in Hue Imperial Citadel, Vina.com.
The Hue Citadel: Inside the Walls of a Lost Imperial City, Sailing Stone Travel
The Lonely Planet online on the Co Ha Gardens.
The Nine Dynastic Urns of the Nguyen Dynasty, Baidu.com.
Vietnam’s Imperial City of Hue (II) (Chin).
The Wikipedia on the Famous Soul Porch (Chin).
The Wikipedia on Hung Mieu (Chin).