Many of the tombs of the Nguyễn lords along the upper reaches of the Perfume River in Huế have badly deteriorated, and the agency that manages them is preparing a restoration project with an estimated budget of about 60 billion dong, Báo Văn Hóa reported. The plan covers eight lords' tombs plus the Cơ Thánh tomb and the tomb of Hải Đông Quận vương, but the report gives no start date.
The tombs are clustered in the former Hương Thọ commune, now Kim Long Ward of Huế. Although many visitors come to see them and burn incense, the paper said, plenty of locals and tourists still do not know the sites exist because the access roads are narrow and the decay has gone on for years.
Trường Thiệu: walls slipping, weeds everywhere
The Trường Thiệu tomb, resting place of Lord Nguyễn Phúc Thuần (1754-1777), lies about 400 metres from the Tả Trạch River, next to Hương Thọ secondary school and near the Trường Cơ tomb of Lord Nguyễn Hoàng. Historical records say Nguyễn Phúc Thuần was first buried in Gia Định and moved to the current site early in the Nguyễn dynasty.
Its outer wall has a perimeter of about 117 metres and stands 2.5 metres high; the inner wall runs more than 64 metres around and is nearly 1.9 metres high. Both are built mainly from mountain stone, gạch vồ bricks and lime mortar. A Báo Văn Hóa reporter found both rings of wall slipping, sinking and out of line, with many holes and a risk of collapse. The gate, screen and altar are badly damaged, and the grounds are overgrown with grass and weeds.
How the lords' tombs were built
Dr. Phan Thanh Hải, former director of the Huế Monuments Conservation Centre, said that under the Nguyễn lords (1558-1775) the tombs of lords and consorts were placed west and southwest of the capital, upstream on the Perfume River. Many were destroyed under the Tây Sơn and rebuilt early in the Nguyễn dynasty, so they share a similar layout: two rectangular walls, front and rear screens decorated with dragons and dragon-horses, a two-tier stepped burial mound and no wooden structures. They are smaller and simpler than the later Nguyễn emperors' tombs, but all sit on carefully chosen feng shui sites.
| Tomb | Lord buried there | Heritage ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Trường Cơ | Nguyễn Hoàng | National |
| Trường Thái | Nguyễn Phúc Khoát | National |
| Trường Thiệu | Nguyễn Phúc Thuần | National |
| Trường Diễn | Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên | Provincial or city |
| Trường Diên | Nguyễn Phúc Lan | Provincial or city |
| Trường Hưng | Nguyễn Phúc Tần | Provincial or city |
| Trường Mậu | Nguyễn Phúc Thái | Provincial or city |
| Trường Thanh | Nguyễn Phúc Chu | Provincial or city |
Some tombs, including Trường Cơ, Trường Thanh and Trường Phong, have already been restored to varying degrees; the rest are in poor condition.
Where the 60 billion dong project stands
Phùng Văn Hoàng, director of the Huế Monuments Project Management Board, said his unit has surveyed the tombs and documented their condition. Because the group includes both national and provincial relics, the files went to several levels for appraisal and have now largely been approved. The board is drawing up the restoration project so work can begin soon.
Planned work covers the gates, screens, altars, graves, inner and outer walls, courtyards, gardens and technical infrastructure. The approach is to restore elements to their original form, reinforce structures and recreate decorative motifs, while adding drainage, lighting and security cameras. No start or completion date has been announced in the report.