A Vietnamese "treasure house"
According toDai Nam Thuc LucandDai Nam Nhat Thong Chi, Tang Thu Lau (藏書樓) was built in the summer of the 6th year of Minh Mang (1825). What is special - unlike most other works of the Nguyen Dynasty, Tang Thu Lau is located in an isolated location on an island in the middle of Hoc Hai Lake; completely "isolated" from the mainland, only connected by a stone bridge.
Marshal Doan Duc Luan and 1,000 soldiers directly constructed the building. The building was built of bricks and stones, with two floors, the lower floor having 11 rooms, the upper floor having 7 rooms and 2 wings; located on a rectangular island (about 45 m × 65 m in size) in the middle of Hoc Hai Lake.
The building was designed and built scientifically and with careful calculations: surrounded by a deep lake to prevent fire and rodents; the lower floor was sprinkled with sulfur to kill ants, cockroaches, termites, etc.; the upper floor - where documents were stored - had many doors, and sparse railings were built around it to allow ventilation and prevent mold.
During the reign of Minh Mang, the Library was protected with the best measures at that time. This became the place to store old documents of agencies and ministries, along with many other documents of the Nguyen Dynasty. Later, the Library was also recognized as a rare "library" of Vietnam, because it possessed many documents related to the activities of the court and the changes of the country. The number of land registers of the Gia Long and Minh Mang dynasties stored here alone reached 12,000 volumes.
Thanks to its skillful construction techniques, the Library operated for about 120 years under the Nguyen Dynasty (1825-1945). When the Nguyen Dynasty and the monarchy ended, the Library ceased operations, and the huge amount of documents here were gradually dispersed and destroyed by war.
Become a free sightseeing and reading spot for the public
For a long time, the Library was almost forgotten. Until 2015, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center restored the Library with a budget of more than 24 billion VND. The center also renovated, added and displayed more books and documents, aiming to turn the Library into a destination for the public.
On April 20, 2022, on the occasion of Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day, and also within the framework of a series of tourism stimulus activities of Thua Thien-Hue province, Tang Thu Lau officially reopened with a complete look. In particular, visitors can now come to Tang Thu Lau to visit and read books for free.
Currently, the Library owns more than 70,000 books of many different genres and formats such as: Han Nom books, ancient books, research works on the Nguyen Dynasty, books on Fine Arts, Architecture, Culture, Buddhism, Religion, Beliefs, Linguistics, maps, etc. The Library's storage system will also be continuously updated, supplemented and diversified in types of documents. In addition, more than 4,000 photos and videos aboutHue past and presentare also stored and continuously updated here.
Visitors can borrow books and read them in the library (Monday to Thursday, except holidays). The Library management also allows visitors to freely take photos in the outside architectural area.
More information
On the morning of April 20, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center opened the 2022 Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day at the Tang Thu relic site. The event included a series of seminars and exhibitions on historical works.
Some outstanding activities include: exhibition "National History Institute of Nguyen Dynasty with the compilation of official history - connecting the flow of research, preservation and promotion of the value of Hue cultural heritage"; exhibition and presentation of the handwritten copy of "Kieu" of the Nguyen Dynasty Royal Family; "Heritage with schools" activity and the "Sharing good books" contest of students of Nguyen Hue High School...
