VietNamNet Bridge - Thousands of stone artifacts dating back more than 300 years which are scattered in the area is still a mystery to researchers.

According to statistics, Bac Giang province has 46 ancient stone tombs. Most of them are concentrated in Hiep Hoa district with 26 tombs, Viet Yen with 11 and Tan Yen with 5. The most popular stone tombs are Dinh Huong, Noi Dinh, Bau Da, Van Cam, the tombs of Ngo and Tran families.

Rock museum in Hiep Hoa

In Hiep Hoa district, Bac Giang province, there is a "rock museum" that is considered the largest in Vietnam. This “rock museum” has existed for hundreds of years and it is firm before time challenge. It is a system of stone mausoleums of mandarins in the feudal dynasties.

Centuries passed, the stone mausoleums in Bac Giang ae still relatively intact. The statues made of green stone, in the shapes of human, elephants, horses, crocodiles, young lions are chiseled and carved sophisticatedly and placed in symmetric layers around the tombs.

Most of the stone tombs were built from the 17th – 18th century under the Le Trung Hung dynasty. The typical architectural style is that the tomb is surrounded by a wall made of laterite. It is guarded by stone statues of human and animals. In front of the tomb are a pond and a lot of trees.

 

Most of these tombs contain mummies, which are embalmed by turpentine. The dead wear clothes embroidered with dragons and phoenixes and placed in a wooden coffin made of fragrant woods. The body is then covered by a lot of tea leaves and flowers to make the mummy aromatic and dry.

But the most unique value of these tombs is the art sculpture that is the peak of the Vietnamese sculpture. The subjects are abundant, including elephants in various postures like sitting, standing, kneeling, rolled trunk, wearing a big bell. Horse statues have harness, horse tracks, rattles, flowers, fabric coating, embroidered towels... The statues of young lions and crocodiles look very lively. Dog statues are simpler but also very lively.

Glorious past

Lying on a tall hill in Duc Thang commune, surrounded by the rice field, the Dinh Huong rock tomb was built in the Le Dynasty (1727).

According to local people, this is the tomb of a mandarin of the Le dynasty. He was twice appointed as the ambassador to China. In 1740, during the reign of King Le Hien Tong, this mandarin was assigned to fight the rebels in Kinh Bac, Son Nam and Hai Duong. He died in 1749.

The stone tomb was built when the mandarin was still alive. The tomb was built by green stone, by talented artisans of Kinh Bac area. The structure is divided into three parts: the burial section in the middle, the worship section on the left, the stone stele on the right. The burial is in square, on an area of 100m2 and surrounded by laterite walls. This is the biggest and most beautiful rock tomb in Bac Giang.

Being built before Dinh Duong tomb, the tomb of the Ngo family in Thai Tho village, Thai Son commune, is dated back to 1697, the reign of King Le Hy Tong. This is the tomb of Duke Ngo Cong Que.  

The entire exterior architecture of the mausoleum is built of laterite and salt rock taken from the mountain IA, about 1.5 km away. The Duke employed the best workers in the region to build the tomb for himself.

The tomb directs to the south, in rectangle with an area of about 400m2. In front of the tomb are two lines of statues of two elephants, two people with horses and two crocodiles. Behind the incense table is the entrance to the tomb, 15.1 mx 12.5 m and stone wall of 1.9 m high.

Before the grave is the incense table, with two sitting young lions on two sides. There are two stone tables on the two sides of the incense table for preparing offerings.

In addition to the aforementioned tombs, Hiep Hoa district is the home to many other beautiful mausoleums, such as the tomb of the Bui, Ha, Khong families.

Hundreds of years have passed, but until now, these stone tombs are still the mystery to historical and cultural researchers. However, taking a little tour through the tombs here, we saw many rock artifacts are abandoned in weeds.

Owning a large number of unique ancient stone tombs, the local government has not had a plan to preserve and turned the place into a tourist attraction.

According to Dr. Nguyen Huy Hanh, former deputy director of the Museum of Bac Giang, who has many years of research on the stone tombs said that mausoleums in Bac Giang are the tombs of high-ranking mandarins in the Le-Trinh dynasties, who were native to Bac Giang.

The first tomb belonging to Duke Ngo Cong My was built in 1655. The last mausoleum built here belongs to mandarin Nguyen Hanh Thong in 1771.

Le Ha