Category: Hue Travel Guides

In its ordinary meaning, "Hue Royal Music" is understood as genres of music, including music combined with dance and opera, used in worshiping ceremonies, court affairs and national festivals hosted by the court and entertainment activities of the King and his Royal Family. The name Nha Nhac was used by Vietnamese feudal dynasties from the Ho Dynasty with different meanings: sometimes indicating Royal Music in general and court ritual music in particular, sometimes indicating a music organization, even a concrete orchestra. The initial foundation of Nha Nhac — the Hue Royal Music began in the 13th century but it only reached the peak at the Hue Court under the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945). It was officially formed along with the enthronement of the Nguyen Dynasty in the early 19th century. In about 1947-1948, Madame Tu Cung (mother of King Bao Dai and wife of King Khai Dinh) gathered some artists from the reign of King Bao Dai. Thanks to this, some genres of court and dance were maintained. In the 1980s, the Hue Hue Royal Music began to attract attention of the Ministry of Culture and local authorities. In the 1990s, it stepped into the renaissance. Since then, this kind of art has been introduced in many places all over the world. Find more: Schedule of Hue Royal Music The different genres of the Hue Royal Music include worshiping ritual music, court ritual music, court dances, chamber music and opera (royal classical opera). Formerly, the Hue Royal Music consisted of various genres: Giao Nhac used in the sacrifice ceremony to the Heaven and the Earth; Mieu Nhac used in worshiping ceremonies at the temples; Ngu Tu Nhac used in worshiping ceremonies for Than Nong (Agricultural Genius), Thanh Hoang (God of a village) and Xa Tac (the State); Dai Trieu Nhac used in great ceremonies or receptions of foreign

Nguyen dynasty woodblocks include 34,555 plates of woodblock made under the reign of the Nguyen dynasty in which engraved various contents from official literature, history, classical and historical books. Therefore, apart from their historical values, the woodblock also has artistic and technical merit as they marked the development of wood-block carving and printing work in Vietnam. Their importance and high value led feudal dynasties and state regimes in history of Vietnam to pay considerable attention to preserving these records. Under the Nguyen dynasty, to popularize social norms, laws that required people to abide by, and to hand down the kings' career and position and historical facts, the royal court ordered to engrave historical books and literature works to deliver nationwide. The process helped create a special type of document, called woodblocks. They are unique and original documents. The blocks are made up of a plate of wood with letters carved in Chinese or ancient Vietnamese. The letters are carved in reverse so when the image is printed, it will appear the right way round. Currently, the collection of 34, 555 woodblocks is now being preserved in the State Records and Archives Department at National Archives Centre 4. 935 copies contain various contents, and are divided into nine topics: history, geography, military, laws, poems, religion-ideology-philosophy, linguistics-document, politics-society, culture-education. The Nguyen dynasty woodblocks were made during the operation of the national history department of the Nguyen dynasty (established in 1820 under the reign of King Minh Mang) in Hue. They are the very rare and precious documents, in terms of its contents, particularity in manipulating methods and strict regulations of the feudal court on publication and carving. These documents were considered a national precious object, only authorized people working at the national history department were allowed to work with them. To manipulate these

From King Minh Mang to Thieu Tri and then Tu Duc king, there was a development of poetical-ness in the royal family, especially with Tu Duc king. He was worth bearing the title "a great poet" because of his talent, his love for poetry, and his works. Was that a genetic material from grandfather to grandson? Later, His Majesty was criticized that for 36 years sitting on the dragon throne, he did nothing but composing poems: Nationwide, almost everybody enjoys reading Chinese poems by Li Po and Tu Fu, And none knows anything happening in foreign countries like England or Russia.  His Majesty is so worried about taking back paddy fields instead of the lost citadels,. He knows how to compose and recite poems only but that his soldiers are hungry and weak. Read more: Minh Mang Mausoleum Tu Duc king was sensitive and devoted to literature. His works contained an abundant content, showing his knowledge and talent in literature. Some of them were His Majesty's Writings, Poems of Self-Learning, Ten Commandments, etc.... In fact, under Tu Duc reign, there were quite a few well-known mandarins noted for being good at literature such as Cao Ba Quat, Nguyen Van Sieu, Nguyen Ham Ninh, Nguyen Cong Tru, Tung Thien Vuong, Tuy Ly Vuong, etc... The King was once very proud of his courtiers and praised them as followed: No one under the dynasty of Former Han could surpass Sieu and Quat in literature. Also, Tung and Tuy's poems defeated those under the prosperous dynasty of T'ang. Though, political affairs were so complicated and confusing under his reign. His Majesty would be absorbed in the pleasure of composing poems after work with his courtiers. There were some funny literary anecdotes relating to this poem loving king. When having free time, Tu Duc king often enjoyed discussing and talking about literature with his