Little known facts about the nearly 11-ton cannon in Hue Citadel

PHÚC ĐẠT - NGUYỄN LUÂN |

HUE - The meaning of the Nine Cannons - 9 bronze cannons cast by the Nguyen Dynasty in the 19th century in Hue Citadel.

Theo su sach, Cuu vi Than cong la ten goi cua 9 khau dai phao bang dong, duoc duc nam 1803 duoi thoi vua Gia Long va hoan tat nam 1804. Moi khau dai 5,1m va nang gan 11 tan.
Nine Cannons is the name of nine bronze cannons, cast in 1803 under King Gia Long and completed in 1804. Each cannon is 5.1m long and weighs nearly 11 tons.
Duoc biet, mot khoi luong dong lon thu duoc tu nhung vu khi cua nha Tay Son da duoc vua Gia Long cho nguoi dem nau chay, duc thanh 9 khau phao lon, xem nhu mot chien loi pham tuong trung cho vuong trieu moi.
According to Dai Nam Thuc Luc, the casting of guns began in February 1803 and was completed at the end of January 1804. A large amount of bronze collected from the Tay Son dynasty's weapons was melted by King Gia Long and cast into nine large cannons, considered a trophy symbolizing the new dynasty.
Tren moi khau than cong duoc khac ten theo thu tu tuong ung voi Tu thoi va Ngu hanh. 4 khau ben trai (huong cua The Nhon) co thu tu tu 1 den 4 la: Xuan, Ha, Thu, Dong. 5 khau ben phai (huong cua Quang Duc) co thu tu tu 5 den 9 la: Kim, Moc, Thuy, Hoa, Tho.
Each cannon is engraved with a name corresponding to the Four Seasons and Five Elements. The four cannons on the left (facing The Nhon gate) are in order from 1 to 4: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. The five cannons on the right (facing Quang Duc gate) are in order from 5 to 9: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth.
Nam 1816, vua Gia Long da sac phong cho ca 9 khau dai phao nay danh hieu “Than Oai Vo dich Thuong Tuong Quan”. Danh hieu co ham nghia la Vi thong lanh quan doi toi cao uy dung vo dich ngang hang voi than linh.
In 1816, King Gia Long bestowed upon all nine of these cannons the title “Divine Mighty General”. The title means the supreme military commander, invincible and mighty, equal to a god.
 Tren moi than phao, co khac ten, cach pha che thuoc sung, phuong phap ban cung bai sac phong cua vua Gia Long nam 1816 va ten tuoi cua nhung nguoi tham gia duc phao. Tuy nhien, Cuu vi Than cong duoc duc khong phai dung trong tran mac, ma chi tuong trung nhu cac vi than bao ve vuong trieu.
On each cannon body, there is engraved the name, the method of mixing gunpowder, the shooting method, the royal decree of King Gia Long in 1816 and the names of those who participated in casting the cannon. However, the Nine Divine Cannons were not cast for use in battle, but only symbolized as gods protecting the dynasty.
 Hien 9 khau dai phao nay van dang duoc trung dat 2 o noi la cua The Nhon va cua Quang Duc (ben trong Kinh thanh Hue). Bat ky ai khi di chuyen vao Kinh thanh bang 2 cua thanh tren se bat gap Cuu vi Than cong huong ve quang truong Ngo Mon.
Currently, these 9 cannons are still on display at The Nhon Gate and Quang Duc Gate (inside Hue Citadel). Visitors entering Hue Citadel through the above 2 gates will see the Nine Cannons facing Ngo Mon Square.
Ngoai gia tri lich su, Cuu vi Than cong con mang gia tri nghe thuat rat cao. Co the nhan thay bang mat thuong, tu ky thuat duc dong, nghe thuat trang tri va cham khac tren than phao cung nhu tren gia phao deu rat dieu luyen va tinh xao.
In addition to its historical value, the Nine Cannons also have very high artistic value. It can be seen with the naked eye that the bronze casting technique, the decorative art and carvings on the cannon body as well as on the cannon stand are all very skillful and sophisticated.
Cac chi tiet cham khac co tren Cuu vi Than cong.
Carved details are on the Nine Divine Arts.
Can canh 5 khau than cong dat sau cua Quang Duc.
Close-up of 5 cannons placed behind Quang Duc gate.
Tu vi Than cong tai cua The Nhon.
The Four Gods at The Nhon Gate.
Ban dau, 9 khau phao duoc dat thanh mot day truoc cua Ngo Mon. Tu thoi vua Khai Dinh, cac khau phao duoc chuyen ve vi tri nhu hien nay.
Initially, nine cannons were placed in a row in front of Ngo Mon Gate. Since the reign of King Khai Dinh, the cannons were moved to their current positions.
Duoc biet, Cuu vi Than cong duc duoi thoi vua Gia Long la nhung khau phao than cong lon nhat Viet Nam, la mot trong nhung bo tac pham my thuat bang dong dat toi dinh cao cua nghe duc dong nuoc ta o dau the ky XIX. Chinh vi vay, nam 2012, Cuu vi Than cong da duoc cong nhan la Bao vat quoc gia.
The Nine Divine Cannons cast under King Gia Long are the largest cannons in Vietnam, one of the bronze art works that reached the peak of bronze casting in our country in the early 19th century. Therefore, in 2012, the Nine Divine Cannons were recognized as a National Treasure.
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