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| A recreated plan of the whole site, which will be excavated soon for restoration. - Photo vietnamplus.vn |
Viet Nam News
THANH HOA — Local authorities of the central province of Thanh Hoa have decided to provide more than VND25 billion (US$1.077 million) for research and excavation at Trieu Tuong Mausoleum in Ha Trung District.
The 19th century relic site will be excavated on a total area of 2,800sq.m to reveal the remnants of its gates, buildings, ponds and wells.
The results of excavation will be used to restore the whole site.
The province will also set borders for the relic site and submit a dossier to the State and UNESCO to recognise the site as a National Special Relic Site and a World Cultural Heritage Site.
The mausoleum was built by King Gia Long in 1803 to mark the home of nine lords and 13 kings under the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945).
The site, which aimed to worship the Nguyen Dynasty, was large (around 50,000 sq.m in circumference) with special architecture and sculptures.
Many historians consider the site as a smaller relative of the Hue Citadel.
The whole site was surrounded by a lake, which was circled by two layers of protective walls.
The space inside the site was divided into three areas. The main area in the middle had temples dedicated to lords Nguyen Kim (1468-1545) and Nguyen Hoang (1525 – 1613), ancestors of the Nguyen Dynasty. The east side of the site had a temple dedicated to General Mandarin Trung (father of Lord Nguyen Kim). The west side had residential areas for mandarins, mausoleum guards and their families.
Over time, the site was totally destroyed. Only the foundation remains.
The research and excavation project will be carried out over 2018 and 2019. — VNS
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