The intact urns, placed inside The To Temple in the Hue Imperial Citadel (Dai Noi) for over 200 years, are all cast in bronze (Photo: baovanhoa.vn) The dossiers will besubmitted to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for consideration andrecommendations before seeking UNESCO’s recognition.
The intact urns,placed inside The To Temple in the Hue Imperial Citadel (Dai Noi) for over 200years, are all cast in bronze. Each one, about two meters tall and weighing upto 2,600 kg, commemorates a king of the Nguyen Dynasty, which ruled Vietnam from1802 to 1945.
They were recognisedas a national treasure in 2012, and considered the most valuable bronze works in Vietnam.
Outstandingsymbols of the country’s immortal reign and wealth, the urns were cast in late1835 and completed in early 1837, underthe reign of King Minh Mang.
The urns can also beconsidered a “geographic encyclopedia” of Vietnam in the 19th century with 162carved patterns exquisitely embossed on their surface depicting landscapes anddaily activities across the country, including 90 images of typical plants andanimals.
Of note, the country’ssea and islands were carved on the three largest and most significant urns. TheEast Sea is depicted on the “Cao Urn”, the one positioned in the very middleand higher than the others, which is dedicated to King Gia Long, the first kingof Nguyen Dynasty. The southern sea appeared on the Nhan Urn, and the westernsea on the Chuong Urn.
Alongside variousancient documents, the patterns on the urns serve as a valuable historicalsource affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa(Spratly) archipelagos.
According to experts,the urns were cast by the best craftsmen at the time. Their molds were destroyedupon the completion to avoid counterfeits, making them the only one of the kind./.
VNA
