Memorial Tombs – special cultural heritage in the context of compound burials of Nguyen Dynasty aristocracy in Southern parts of Vietnam in Medieval and Post-Medieval Times  Pham Duc Manh

Abstract

This paper introduces Memorial Tombs in the context of memorial compound tomb types for the aristocrat of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802- 1945) in Southern Vietnam in The Medieval and Post-Medieval Time. This type was of rare tangible and intangible cultural heritage at the time (1.5%). These heritage assets are very valuable because they are associated with historical figures – “state founders, meritorious officials” in country expansion time “The Great South Unification (Dai Nam Nhat thong)”. In addition to the typical complex of mausoleums in Southern Vietnam (Nguyen Huu Canh, 1650-1700; Le Van Duyet, 1763-1832; Le Van Phong, Truong Tan Buu, 1752-1827 or Tran Van Hoc, Phan Tan Huynh, Huynh Van Tu, and "Sir Nhieu Loc"), the authors studied Vo Tanh mausoleum at both Hoang De (emperor) and Gia Dinh (emperor) citadels, and the mausoleum of his warmates related to the last and biggest-scaled sea fight between the Nguyen dynasty’s army and the Tay Son insurgent army on Thi Nai lagoon in 1801 (Vo Di Nguy, 1745-1801; Ngo Tung Chau; Thu Ngoc Hau, etc.). In our opinion, the presence of memorial tomb types of Vo Tanh and his warmates – historic-cultural-artistic heritage sites of national/provincial levels in Southern Vietnam relating the honoring of heroes who “wholeheartedly served the King, defended the country, saved the people” in the history of country expansion “Towards the South” in medieval and post-medieval times. They contribute to the moulding of prominent features of the comtemporary Southerners’ personality. Those historical stories of the Southern heroes are preserved and worshipped by their descendants bearing in mind the Vietnamese way of life “praising the bridge carrying one over” and pay homage to ancestors for their nation-building service.