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The idea and the manufacturing process
According to historical records, King Minh Mạng, the second king of the Nguyễn dynasty, loved classical literature and was passionate about tradition from a young age. He was a king deeply rooted in Confucian thought. After ascending the throne and completing the unfinished construction of the imperial city left by his father, King Gia Long, King Minh Mạng wanted to emulate the ancients by casting the Nine Tripods to assert the authority of the dynasty.
BookDai Nam Thuc Luc Chinh BienAccording to accounts, in the winter of October, in the year of Ất Vị (Ất Mùi - 1835), Emperor Minh Mạng issued an edict ordering the casting of the Nine Tripods for his Nguyễn dynasty. The edict stated: “The tripods are meant to signify the established position and the convergence of destiny. They are truly precious objects in the ancestral temple. In the past, the enlightened kings of the Three Dynasties used metal offered as tribute by the governors of the nine provinces to cast nine tripods as treasures to be passed down to future generations. Such regulations and rituals were truly magnificent! I respectfully continue the legacy of my predecessors, following their clear path. Now, wishing to emulate the ancients, I will cast nine tripods to be placed in the Imperial Ancestral Temple… This is to express my hope for eternal stability and continued lineage for generations to come. I instruct the officials in charge to cast them according to the newly established model.”The Third GenerationHere, it refers to the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties in ancient China.
Nine bronze cauldrons in front of the Ancestral Temple
The construction of the Nine Tripods began in late 1835 (October of the Year of the Goat, from November 20th to December 19th, 1835) and was inaugurated on March 1st, 1837. However, the actual work of making the Nine Tripods was divided into two stages. The casting of the nine tripods began in late 1835 (the 16th year of the Minh Mang reign) and was completed in June 1836 (the 17th year of the Minh Mang reign). Following this, the repair, carving, and re-engraving of the details on the tripods continued – a process that lasted until March 1837.
Some characteristics of the Nine Tripods
Although the nine incense burners share a relatively similar overall shape—three legs, a rounded body, a constricted neck, a flared mouth, and two handles—each actually possesses its own unique characteristics.
Regarding the handles, the Cao, Nhân, Dụ, and Huyền peaks have square handles. However, the Cao peak's handles are slightly curved rather than square like the other three peaks. Meanwhile, the Chương, Anh, Nghị, Thuần, and Tuyên peaks have U-shaped handles with two rounded corners, but there are differences between them: the handles of the Chương and Nghị peaks have a circular cross-section; the Anh peak's handle has a square cross-section; the Thuần peak's handle is braided like a rope; and the Tuyên peak's handle has a circular cross-section but with a ridge along the body. The rims of the Thuần, Dụ, and Huyền peaks are curved with a quarter-circle cross-section, while the other peaks have cylindrical rims with square ridges on the outer surface.
There are some differences between the various peaks in terms of the handles, neck, and rim.
Regarding the tripods, only Cao Dinh and Du Dinh have straight bases; the remaining tripods have curved, trough-shaped bases. The bases of the tripods are also different. Nhan Dinh, Nghi Dinh, Tuyen Dinh, and Huyen Dinh have relatively flat bases—with Nghi Dinh's base even having a slightly convex inner section—while the remaining tripods have curved, dome-shaped bases. The legs of all the tripods are slightly curved, except for Du Dinh which has straight legs.
Each finial is adorned with 17 bas-relief carvings depicting the universe, mountains and rivers, birds and animals, products, weapons, and more, forming a panoramic view of a unified Vietnam during the Nguyen Dynasty.
The weight of the cauldrons ranges from 3,200 ta (1,935 kg) for the lightest, Huyen cauldron, to 4,307 ta (2,601 kg) for the heaviest, Cao cauldron. The height (to the rim) is approximately 1.9 m - 2 m, with Cao cauldron being the tallest (2.02 m) and Anh cauldron the shortest (1.83 m).
Placement of the Nine Tripods
The Nine Tripods were placed in front of the Thế Miếu courtyard, right behind the Hiển Lâm Pavilion. The central tripod, the Cao tripod, rose 3 meters above the others, along the sacred axis running from the Hiển Lâm Pavilion to the central hall of the Thế Miếu – where the altar of Emperor Gia Long was located – in honor of the founding emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty. The Cao tripod symbolizes greatness.
The highest peak is located in the center, rising about 3 meters forward compared to the other peaks.
Looking out from the Thế Miếu temple, to the left of Cao Đỉnh are Nhân Đỉnh, Anh Đỉnh, Thuần Đỉnh, and Dụ Đỉnh; to the right are Chương Đỉnh, Nghị Đỉnh, Tuyên Đỉnh, and Huyền Đỉnh.
The Nhân peak faces the altar of Emperor Minh Mạng, the Chương peak faces the altar of Emperor Thiệu Trị, the Anh peak faces the altar of Emperor Tự Đức, the Nghị peak faces the altar of Emperor Kiến Phúc, the Thuần peak faces the altar of Emperor Đồng Khánh, the Tuyên peak faces the altar of Emperor Khải Định, the Dụ peak faces the altar of Emperor Hàm Nghi, and the Huyền peak faces the altar of Emperor Duy Tân.
The significance of the Nine Tripods
BookDai Nam Thuc Luc Chinh Bien, Second ChronicleAccording to the book, in the spring of the year Dinh Dau, the 18th year of the Minh Mang reign, on the first day of the first lunar month, the Quy Mao day (March 1, 1837), the Nine Tripods were placed in a row in the courtyard of the The Mieu Temple. The book states: “It was completed within one year. An order was given to the relevant authorities to choose an auspicious day to place the tripods after they had been thoroughly cleaned (the foundation was made of large stones).” On the day of the grand ceremony of placing the tripods, King Minh Mang himself presided over the worship ceremony at the The Mieu Temple.
It is evident that Emperor Minh Mạng highly valued the Nine Tripods. For the emperor, the authority of the king was entrusted by Heaven to one person (the king) to rule the people. The tripods pointing towards the sky were meant to receive that entrustment – therefore, the tripods had to be large and wide. The tripods, therefore, symbolized the legitimate power of the emperor.
Therefore, before placing the cauldrons in the Ancestral Temple, the king ordered them to be "cleaned thoroughly," and even after the rough casting was completed, he ordered a thanksgiving ceremony. When placing the cauldrons, King Minh Mạng wanted them to have very solid bases so that they would not vibrate at all, as this symbolized the stability and permanence of the monarchy. Therefore, the bases of the Nine Cauldrons were made of sturdy stone blocks.
The Nine Tripods were placed right behind Hien Lam Pavilion, in front of The Mieu Temple.
Serving as treasures symbolizing the enduring power of the Nguyen dynasty, Emperor Minh Mang's names for the bronze cauldrons were all meaningful. Later, the posthumous titles of the Nguyen emperors were all given after these cauldrons.
Cao Dinh is the posthumous title of Emperor Gia Long, Nhan Dinh is the posthumous title of Emperor Minh Mang, Chuong Dinh is the posthumous title of Emperor Thieu Tri, Anh Dinh is the posthumous title of Emperor Tu Duc, Nghi Dinh is the posthumous title of Emperor Kien Phuc, Thuan Dinh is the posthumous title of Emperor Dong Khanh, and Tuyen Dinh is the posthumous title of Emperor Khai Dinh.
The kings Dục Đức and Hiệp Hòa were deposed and killed; King Hàm Nghi, along with the father and son kings Thành Thái and Duy Tân, resisted the French, were deposed and exiled; King Bảo Đại abdicated… none of them were given temple names or posthumous titles. Therefore, Dụ đỉnh and Huyền đỉnh did not become the posthumous titles of any king.
From Hien Lam Pavilion, one can see Cao Dinh and The Mieu.
The Nine Tripods – in addition to representing the aspirations of Emperor Minh Mạng and the Nguyễn emperors for the stability and power of the Nguyễn dynasty – are also outstanding works of art created by ancient artisans.
Fortunately, for nearly 200 years, despite numerous wars and natural disasters, the Nine Dynastic Urns have remained intact in their original positions, becoming a rare and valuable cultural heritage of Hue and Vietnam.
