In September 1924, the boat of the Empress Dowager and the concubines watched a boat race on the Perfume River during the celebration of the 40th birthday (the Fourth of July) of King Khai Dinh. Source: baothuathienhue.com
According to the book Dai Nam Thuc Luc compiled by the National History of the Nguyen Dynasty, the total number of ships in Vietnam at the end of Gia Long’s reign was 3,190. Following the example of King Gia Long, the kings Minh Mang (1820 – 1841), Thieu Tri (1841 – 1847) and Tu Duc (1848 – 1883) were also very interested in developing the boat building industry, not only paying attention to the increase in the number of boats. quality, but also to increase the type of boats, at the same time, to improve the boat building techniques and deploy the construction of boats according to the techniques of the West, especially King Minh Mang.
On the Nine Peaks in front of The To Mieu in the Imperial Citadel of Hue, there are embossed figures of seven types of ships of the Nguyen Dynasty, including: the multi-book boats on the Peak, the castle on the Nhan Peak, the butt of the boat on the top chapter, and the sea route. Dinh is on Nghi Dinh, Dinh is on Thuan Dinh, boat is on Tuyen Dinh, and the boat is on Du Dinh. Perhaps, these seven types of boats are considered the achievements of the boat building industry under Gia Long and Minh Mang dynasties, so they were chosen to cast on the Cuu Dinh.
However, according to statistics in the book Kham Dinh Dai Nam Hoi Classic of Laws compiled by the Nguyen Dynasty’s Cabinet, under four dynasties: Gia Long, Minh Mang, Thieu Tri, Tu Duc, the Nguyen Dynasty built more than 25 types of ships. There are different types of boats, in which there are boats dedicated to the king, royal courtiers and entourage such as: Ngu Chu (King’s yacht), Long Chu (King’s Dragon Boat), Long Boat (King’s yacht) king, has two decks), from chu (the queen’s yacht), le boat (a boat with many oarsmen, usually going ahead to pull the king’s boat), Dinh (a long boat, with many oarsmen, usually following behind) to escort the king’s boat), to lead (the boat leading the king’s boat)…
These are boats used to serve the travel and entertainment needs of the king, queen mother, members of the royal family and high officials.
King’s boats have many classes with different names, depending on the function, design and decoration of the boat. Every time the king cruised by waterway, he used all kinds of kings, dragons or needles, and his entourage of boats. The entourage consisted of various types of boats: the boat was used to pull the king’s boat, the three boats were used to convey the king’s orders to the retinues, the lead led to signal, the rear led to escort, and all kinds of umbrellas. boats and escorted soldiers…
Participating in the king’s tour, sometimes there are also queens, queens, concubines, princes, princesses, princes and ministers. Depending on their position, these people were assigned private boats or shared boats with the king: the queen mother would sit in a private boat, called tu chu, with her attendants; the first prince, the princes and high officials accompanied the king in private boats; Queens, concubines and young princes and princesses often sat in the same boat with the king.
Most of the boats used by the king and the boats of the king’s entourage were built in Hue. However, every time the king went on a patrol in the localities, in addition to the boats built in Hue (which were shipped to the localities in advance), the king also ordered the localities where the king’s tour group passed to close More boats to serve.
For example, according to the book Kham Dinh Dai Nam Hoi, in 1842, when King Thieu Tri went to the North to receive the ordination from the Chinese court, a year before that, the king had ordered the provinces “Quang Binh, Nghe An” An, Thanh Hoa built a boat of Ngu Chu and Kim Dinh of each. Nam Dinh built a boat of Ngu Chu and two of Kim Dinh. The classes of king boats used directly are not many, but boats for entourage account for quite a large number.
In 1828, King Minh Mang issued a quota for the classes of boats residing in the Kinh Kinh, including: from chu: one, Ngu Chu: one, Phuoc An boat: one, sailing boat: one, and floor boat: one , Long Kha boat: one, Kim Long boat: six, long chu: three, Kim Dinh: two, lead: 20. This number of boats is ordered by the Dragon Boat Guard under the management of the Imperial Sea Master.
By 1845, the number of long chu (dragon boats) used for the tours of King Thieu Tri was up to 67. Most of the king’s ships and the queen’s ships were given their own names. For example, the boats: Thai Long, Ngu Hai, Te Thong, Thanh Yen, Vinh Ninh… or the queen’s boat was named Nhan Tho, Yen Nhu.
The king’s boat is often painted with gold or silver, carved with patterns of dragons with five claws, clouds, and waves. There are elaborately carved boats, splendidly painted, like castles. floating station on the river. For example, the Te Thong boat of King Tu Duc, is a two-story boat, the upper floor is for the king, with four rooms; The lower floor is for entourage, there are five rooms.
The front of the boat is heavily carved, painted with gilded vermilion, with a dragon head and six dragon shapes intertwined. According to regulations, the commander of the Ve Long boat is allowed to worship on the king’s boat. Therefore, this boat rudder is controlled by sailors standing in a small boat with no roof behind. When moving, the Te Thong boat is pulled by about four or five boats in the front, with 24 to 32 rowers on each boat.
The empress dowager’s boat was carved with a phoenix; The prince’s boat is engraved with a dragon or four-clawed dragon, painted in silver, the boat of the prince and great minister has a dragon image but simplified a lot…
According to the memoirs Souvenir de Hué by Michel Duc Chaigneau, son of Jean Baptiste Chaigneau, a courtier of King Gia Long, “the boats of the great mandarins must not exceed the limit of carving and gilding.
A high-ranking official is entitled to more carvings and gilding on his boat than a lower-ranking official, but the high-ranking man himself is also breaking the law if he allows his boat to be carved and painted. excessive lipstick, only kings and princes have boats carved with themes such as dragons, or gilded the entire carved area.”
The Nguyen Dynasty ended in 1945, so Hue court activities also ended accordingly. And on the Perfume River of Hue, the boats and entourage were completely absent.