Vuong Palace in Ha Giang
Published: 14/11/2012 02:06
Nearly a century ago, in the area of the present-day Ha Giang Province (northern Vietnam) where the Mong (Meo) ethnic people are living, the Vuong family led by Vuong Chinh Duc took control of the entire large plateau and Duc proclaimed himself "King of the Meo". To confirm his role and power, the Meo King built a grandiose palace, which has stood firmly over the passage of time. The palace is now a cultural and historical relic of great value on Dong Van karst plateau.
It is said that to prepare for the construction of the palace, Vuong Chinh Duc went to China to find a geomancer for selecting a good location for the palace. After a long survey trip across the stone plateau he chose the valley of Sa Phin (present-day Sa Phin Commune in Dong Van District of Ha Giang Province). In the centre of the valley there is a plot of land in the shape of a tortoise's shell (seen as the Tortoise Genie) with two rice-tray shaped mountains in the front, which symbolizes a prosperous life. At the back of the palace is a range of mountains looking like an arc-shaped wall that embraces the palace. The geomancer predicted that all decedents of the Vuong family would become wealthy and esteemed if residing in that palace.
In 1920, construction of the Vuong Palace began. Most of the workers were the Hui people from Yunnan (China), or the best Mong people who were in charge of splitting stones and chopping timbers. After eight years of constructing that cost about 150,000 silver coins, the Vuong Palace was completed. The palace covers an area of about 1,200m2, having walls made of green stone plates, each 60-80cm thick and 2.5-3m high. There are 13 sections, including the front hall, central hall, back hall, blockhouse, water tank and the horses' cage. There is a green stone-paved road leading to the palace, along which there are two rows of Cunninghamia trees. The stone steps to the palace are carved and trimmed into unique shapes. Passing the entrance with two stone walls, visitors will enter the main building. The entire building is 46m long, 22m wide and over 10m high which consists of four transversal houses and six lengthwise houses - all having two floors and a total of 64 rooms. The house walls are made of earth with the stone base, the wooden floor, pillars and columns. The roof is made with tiles and its front roof made with tube tiles decorated with the "longevity" script. The inner compartments are divided into rooms of different sizes, with the big ones reserved for Vuong Chinh Duc, his three wives, and his sons and daughters. There are also rooms for the servants and guards. The palace reflects the architecture of the Qing Dynasty (China) and designs of the Mong which highlights the whole building's extravagant look. The building materials are used in harmony with most of them processed right in the locality, such as the green stones, Cunninghamia wood, and baked yin-yang tiles. All the parts, whether made of stone or wood, are carved meticulously with designs of the dragon, phoenix, bat, etc. which represent for prosperity and longevity of a family of high rank. For example, on the main pillars, from the bottom to the top, there are carvings of tortoise' shells and the dragon's scales, while around the foot of the smaller pillars there are carvings of bats. The ends of the house roof are curved, like the wings of the dragon. The Vuong Palace has been classified by the Vietnamese State since 1993 as an architectural and arts relic and open to visitors who want to research the locality's history or just for sight-seeing. Source: Vietnam.vnanet.vn |
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