Over VND25 bln for Trieu Tuong mausoleum excavation
The People’s Committee of central Thanh Hoa province has decided to earmark over VND25 billion (US$1.08 million) for the study and excavation of the Trieu Tuong Mausoleum site in Ha Long commune, Ha Trung district.
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| At the site (Source: hatrung.thanhhoa.gov.vn) |
The mausoleum was built at an order by King Gia Long in 1803 in Gia Mieu village, Ha Long commune, Ha Trung district. It is the homeland of the nine lords and 13 kings of the Nguyen Dynasty which lasted from 1802 to 1945. The mausoleum has special architectural and artistic value.
The project aims to restore the ancient citadel, Trieu Tuong temple, Gia Mieu communal house, and Ong communal house, as well as the Nguyen Huu family worship house. It will also provide facilities for tourists visiting the site.
Authorities are expected to complete the excavation and rebuild facilities on the inner mausoleum area by 2020.
Many historians consider the site as a miniaturized version of the Hue Imperial Citadel. It includes many buildings inside a complex with a total area of 50,000sq.m, surrounded by lakes and brick bridges.
According to documents, two layers of walls surrounded the site like a citadel. The inside space is divided into three main areas. The middle portion is composed of temples dedicated to Nguyen Kim (1468-1545) and Nguyen Hoang (1525-1613), the ancestors of the Nguyen kings. The eastern part of the site houses a temple dedicating to Nguyen Kim’s father Nguyen Hoang Du (?-1518), while the western portion is reserved as a residential area for mandarins, soldiers, and families guarding the mausoleum.
The Trieu Tuong Mausoleum site has deteriorated completely over time, and now only its foundation remains.
