Local leaders present offerings to the dead concubine before starting to renovate her tomb on March 20. (Photo dantri.vn) The project to renovate the tomb of Doan Quy Phi (1601 – 1661), the chief concubine of Lord Nguyen Phuc Lan (1601-1648), who ruled south Vietnam (1635-1648) from the city of Phu Xuan (modern-day Hue). The project aims to celebrate the 360th anniversary of the concubine’s death.
The project, set to cost 15 billion VND (647,000 USD), includes an entrance gate, parking lot, main tomb, garden, lotus lake and the surrounding landscape with a total area of 38,000sq.m.
The tomb site, which was recognised as the national relic site in August 2011, has been upgraded three times in 1806, 1814 and 1992.
The present area is seriously downgraded, with no entrance to the tomb and a damaged surrounding concrete fence.
Doan Quy Phi, whose real name was Doan Thi Ngoc, was an official concubine of Lord Nguyen Phuc Lan, and mother of Lord Nguyen Phuc Tan. Lord Nguyen Phuc Tan (1620-1687) ruled the south of Vietnam between 1648 and 1687. After her death, Doan Quy Phi was awarded the title Queen Hieu Chieu.
When she was alive, she encouraged people to plant mulberry and raise silkworms to weave silk. People nicknamed her 'Goddess of Silkworms'./.
VNA
