Nine Tripod Cauldrons recognized as world documentary heritage

The reliefs on the national treasure Nine Tripod Cauldrons at The To Temple were recognized by UNESCO as a world documentary heritage on May 8.

Mr. Tran Huu Thuy Giang, Chief of Office of the People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue province, said that the dossier of the Nine Dynastic Urns - Hue Royal Palace was included in the Memory of the World Catalogue at the 10th General Conference of the Memory of the World Programme Committee for Asia - Pacific (UNESCO) held in Mongolia.

Nine tripods are displayed in the courtyard of The To Temple. Photo: Vo Thanh

The Nine Tripods are nine large bronze cauldrons cast by King Minh Mang in 1835, with more than 20,000 kg of copper, lead, and zinc, and completed in 1837. They have been placed in front of the yard of The To Temple since its inception.

All nine cauldrons have the same shape: round, narrow neck, flared mouth, two handles on the mouth, three legs below the cauldron. Each cauldron is 2.3-2.5 m high, with a separate handle and leg design. Each cauldron weighs from 3,200 to over 4,300 kg. On the body of the cauldron are notes in Chinese characters about the year, weight and name of the cauldron, along with embossed images of mountains, rivers, and cultural relics of Dai Nam in the 19th century.

King Minh Mang cast the Nine Tripod Cauldrons to represent the longevity of the dynasty, the wealth, unity and territorial integrity of Vietnam. This is a unique and rare source of information on history, culture - education , geography, feng shui, medicine, and calligraphy, highly appreciated by Vietnamese and foreign researchers.

Staff of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center stamp the motifs on the Nine Urns. Photo: Vo Thanh

Up to now, Thua Thien Hue has 6 world heritages, including: Complex of Hue Monuments; Royal Court Music, Vietnamese Royal Music; Woodblocks of Nguyen Dynasty; Royal Records of Nguyen Dynasty; Poetry and Literature on Hue Royal Architecture; Reliefs on Nine Urns.

Vo Thanh

Source: https://vnexpress.net/cuu-dinh-duoc-cong-nhan-di-san-tu-lieu-the-gioi-4743548.html