Admiring the tomb and the remains of the house during the time of seclusion of the famous scholar Nguyen Thiep (1723 - 1804, a native of Ha Tinh) on Thien Nhan mountain range (Nam Kim commune, Nam Dan district, Nghe An), we were even more moved thinking about his personality, talent and contributions to the nation.
Video: La Son mausoleum of master Nguyen Thiep
The Mausoleum of La Son Phu Tu Nguyen Thiep (and his wife Dang Thi Nghi) was built on Bui Phong Mountain (in Thien Nhan Range) in Nam Kim Commune, Nam Dan District, Nghe An Province. Together with the Temple of La Son Phu Tu Nguyen Thiep in Kim Song Truong Commune (Can Loc, Ha Tinh), the Mausoleum was ranked as a national historical and cultural relic in 1994. |
Nguyen Thiep (1723 - 1804), real name Minh, courtesy name Quang Thiep (later, to avoid the taboo of Lord Trinh Giang, the word Quang was removed), was from Mat Thon village, Nguyet Ao commune, Lai Thach canton, La Son district, Duc Quang prefecture, now Kim Song Truong commune (Can Loc, Ha Tinh). In the photo: Panorama of the tomb of La Son master Nguyen Thiep on Bui Phong mountain (belonging to Thien Nhan mountain range, Nam Kim commune, Nam Dan, Nghe An).
Nguyen Thiep was born into a family of scholars, a lineage of over 300 years old with ancestors in Cuong Gian commune (Nghi Xuan). As a child, thanks to the care of his mother (daughter of the Nguyen Huy - Truong Luu family) and the tutoring of his uncle, Doctor Nguyen Hanh (1701-?), Nguyen Thiep's three brothers were all good students. At the age of 19, he followed his uncle Nguyen Hanh, who was working as the Royal Inspector of Thai Nguyen, to study. After that, his uncle sent him to the Imperial Examination Master Nguyen Nghiem (father of the great poet Nguyen Du) for tutoring and further education. Not long after, his uncle died suddenly, causing him to grieve, go crazy and wander. Thanks to help, he found his way back to his hometown to recuperate. In the photo: The entrance to Nguyen Thiep's tomb.
A year later, Nguyen Thiep attended the Huong examination in Nghe school and passed the Huong exam in Quy Hoi period under Le Canh Hung (1743). Although urged by his teacher, Xuan Quan Cong Nguyen Nghiem, he did not attend the Hoi exam but stayed in his hometown (Ha Tinh) to concentrate on reading books. In the year of Mau Thin (1748), he went to Bac Ha to attend the Hoi exam. Some documents say he passed the Tam Truong exam in this exam. From 1749 to 1754, Nguyen Thiep taught in Bo Chinh (Quang Binh). In 1756, Nguyen Thiep was appointed to the position of Anh Do Instructor (Anh Son district, Nghe An). In the photo: The mausoleum of La Son Phu Tu Nguyen Thiep, although located on a high mountain, is still frequently visited by later generations.
In 1762, he was appointed as Thanh Chuong District Chief. Six years later, in 1768, Nguyen Thiep resigned from his position and went into hiding at Bui Phong Mountain (in the Thien Nhan range, in Nam Kim commune, Nam Dan today). In 1780, he was summoned by Lord Trinh Sam to Thang Long to discuss national affairs, but he realized that the Lord's ideas did not match his views, so he returned. In 1786, Nguyen Hue led his troops to the North to defeat Trinh, and sent him letters of invitation three times to assist him, along with gifts, but Nguyen Thiep refused. At the end of 1788, when Le Chieu Thong brought more than 200,000 Qing troops to invade our country, King Quang Trung from Phu Xuan (Hue) led his troops to defeat the enemy, and then Nguyen Thiep agreed to give advice. In the photo: Nguyen Thiep's tomb complex includes the front tomb and the back shrine.
In early spring of Ky Dau 1789, King Quang Trung Nguyen Hue defeated the Qing army and returned to Nghe An. He invited Nguyen Thiep to discuss national affairs, and he accepted. In the same year, he was appointed by the king as the Chief Examiner of the Huong examination in Nghe An. After that, he assisted King Quang Trung in the revival of education and was assigned to hold the position of Director of the Sung Chinh Institute. In 1792, King Quang Trung suddenly passed away. After that, he accepted the invitation of King Canh Thinh to Phu Xuan but realized that the times had changed so he asked to return to Bui Phong mountain. In 1804, he passed away and was buried near his hermitage on Bui Phong mountain. In the photo: Along with the mausoleum, on Bui Phong mountain (Nam Kim commune, Nam Dan, Nghe An) there are still traces of the house of La Son Phu Tu Nguyen Thiep.
Due to time, La Son Phu Tu's house is no longer in its original form, but traces such as the house foundation, part of the house wall, yard and screen in front of the gate still remain. In the photo: Traces of the front yard and house of Nguyen Thiep.
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Quang Hong (right) - Vinh University, the house's campus has an area of about 100 m2 , consisting of 3 parts: bedroom, yard, porch. The house faces Dai Tue mountain range in the North, with its back leaning against Hoang Tam peak (the highest peak of Bui Phong mountain) in the South.
The house walls are built of laterite carved into cubic blocks. In the photo: A remaining part of Nguyen Thiep's house wall.
Although he lived in seclusion in the mountains and lived a simple life, La Son Phu Tu Nguyen Thiep was always respected and honored by kings, lords and famous scholars across the country. Besides his honest personality, talent and contributions to politics, geography, education and literature, La Son Phu Tu is a precious legacy left for future generations. In the photo: Hoang Tam Peak (Bui Phong Mountain) seen from the front behind Nguyen Thiep's house.
Thien Vy - Duc Quang
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