Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen's vision of establishing a citadel in Lao Bao

Lao Bao is a border area, with an important strategic position in terms of economy, politics, national defense, and security of the country in general and Quang Tri province in particular. More than 400 years ago, Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen made an important decision related to the existence of Lao Bao land.

The book "Dai Nam Thuc Luc Tien Bien" records the event of Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen establishing Ai Lao citadel in 1662 - Photo KN

Sai Vuong Nguyen Phuc Nguyen (1563 - 1635) was the sixth son of Lord Nguyen Hoang, he was the second Nguyen Lord of the Dang Trong government in Vietnamese history. He was on the throne from 1614 to 1635. During his reign, Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen built an independent dynasty in Dang Trong. With the great works he did during his reign in Dang Trong, we see a portrait of an outstanding Nguyen Lord in the history of the nation. In particular, his establishment of Ai Lao citadel (today's Lao Bao) demonstrated his foresight in managing and defending the territory in an important key area.

Quang Tri is a land closely associated with the development and existence of the period when the Nguyen Lords ruled the Dang Trong region. This is also the place where the first Lord Nguyen Hoang established his first palace in his journey to open up the country. From here, it was the basis for developing an independent government, not dependent on the Dang Ngoai region (King Le, Lord Trinh). Lord Nguyen Hoang laid the foundation for the following lords to continue in affirming an independent government.

As the second lord, Sai Vuong Nguyen Phuc Nguyen not only inherited the achievements left by his father, he also continued to have policies for the sustainable development of Dang Trong in all aspects. With the land of Quang Tri, Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen left many marks. Among them, his establishment of Ai Lao (Lao Bao) palace demonstrated his intelligence, because he saw the problems and important position of Lao Bao land.

The process of establishing the Ai Lao citadel is reflected in the book "Dai Nam Thuc Luc Tien Bien", volume 2, page 6 as follows: " In the year of Nham Tuat, the 9th year (1622), the lord thought that the Hieu river in Cam Lo commune (belonging to Dang Xuong district) bordered the Ai Lao land, the Man Luc Hoan, Van Tuong, Tran Ninh, Quy Hop tribes all had roads leading there, so he ordered to establish the citadel, recruited people to divide into 6 military boats to guard, called the Ai Lao citadel".

Previously, this place was often the place where the royal army gathered and stationed to attack the Siamese army that invaded and plundered the districts of Cam Lo. Seeing the important location and terrain of Lao Bao, Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen immediately implemented it by establishing a palace to manage it. From here, Lao Bao and the surrounding areas bordering the border received more attention from the royal court. This was a necessary action because in a place with a strategic location, a fence of the royal dynasty like Lao Bao, stability in management was of great significance in the administrative policy of the Dang Trong government under Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen.

As a genius in governance, Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen had a long-term vision. He was always conscious of protecting and defending the territory. He saw problems in important places that could affect the territory as well as the process of building the government. Establishing the Ai Lao administration palace (Lao Bao) solved many problems. This was a place adjacent to the territory of another country, where disturbances by many groups and tribes often occurred, causing anxiety for the people.

Perhaps Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen understood better than anyone that it was very difficult for his father (Lord Nguyen Hoang) to go through many ups and downs before he could go to the South. The journey to open up the land of Doan Quan Cong Nguyen Hoang started from the land of Quang Tri (establishing the Ai Tu palace in 1558). Therefore, even though he was the one who stood above all in Dang Trong, Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen never forgot his father's advice to try to build a strong government so as not to depend on Dang Ngoai (King Le, Lord Trinh). The land and people of Quang Tri were attached to and witnessed the conquest of the South by Lord Nguyen from the beginning.

Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen showed his acumen in handling and making decisions at work. Dinh Ai Lao (Lao Bao) was established to alleviate the worries of the Dang Trong government in protecting its territory. It was also a way to protect the subjects in the border area of ​​the dynasty. Stabilizing a complex place like Lao Bao was a multi-purpose task, both to show neighboring countries that they would not dare to invade, and to let the subjects in the border area feel secure and understand the concerns of Lord Nguyen as well as the entire government.

Ai Lao Palace was the foundation for the later Nguyen Lords and Nguyen Dynasty kings to continue their management policies. In 1815, King Gia Long changed Ai Lao Palace to Ai Lao Dao. In 1833, King Minh Mang changed it to Bao Tran Lao. Regardless of the period, the Nguyen Lords and Nguyen Kings always valued this place, because this was an important location that influenced the policies of building the dynasty.

The event of Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen establishing Ai Lao Palace was the basis and premise for the history of development and formation of the place name Lao Bao. Lao Bao town (Huong Hoa district) today has changed a lot according to the general development of the country. The economy and people's lives are constantly improving. Lao Bao border gate is located on the East - West economic corridor, one of the important border gates of our country in economic trade with other countries. More than 400 years ago, the vision of the wise king contributed to creating one of the potential lands that later generations must admire.

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Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/tam-nhin-cua-chua-nguyen-phuc-nguyen-voi-viec-cho-lap-dinh-tran-tai-lao-bao-192377.htm