{"id":11269,"date":"2022-05-11T15:43:04","date_gmt":"2022-05-11T07:43:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=11269"},"modified":"2022-05-11T15:43:04","modified_gmt":"2022-05-11T07:43:04","slug":"mac-cuu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/mac-cuu\/","title":{"rendered":"M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu’s Mausoleum: Ki\u00ean Giang Historical Site Celebrating The Pioneering Ruler in The Mekong Delta"},"content":{"rendered":"

M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu’s Mausoleum: The resting place of a pioneering ruler in the Mekong Delta<\/h2>\n
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Ki\u00ean Giang is a province in the southwestern Mekong Delta usually associated with Ph\u00fa Qu\u1ed1c<\/a>, the largest offshore island of Vietnam. However, Ki\u00ean Giang is also famous for the land of M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu, the first pioneer ruler of this land who eventually added his land to the country of Vietnam.<\/p>\n

Therefore, when coming to Ki\u00ean Giang, you should check out M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu’s Mausoleum to explore another part of the Mekong Delta’s history.<\/p>\n

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M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu helped complete the Vietnam map<\/h3>\n
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\nThe main gate of the Mausoleum<\/em>
\nImage credit: <\/em>Liftold\/Wikimedia<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

If you are interested in Vietnamese history, especially that of southern Vietnam, you can find lots of information about M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu, the pioneering ruler of the west coast of the Mekong Delta, here. M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu’s Mausoleum is actually the burial and worshipping place for all deceased members of the M\u1ea1c family. That’s why sometimes it’s called the M\u1ea1c Mausoleum.<\/p>\n

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\nThe conference of Nguy\u1ec5n Dynasty recognizing M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu’s contributions
\nImage adapted from \u0110\u1ed3ng Th\u00e1p Television<\/a><\/p>\n

M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu, also known as M\u1ea1c K\u00ednh C\u1eedu, or \u911a\u656c\u7396 in Chinese, was from Guangdong, China. In the 1680s, intolerant of the new Qing dynasty, he fled his country to Phnom Penh, Cambodia today.<\/p>\n

Having realized that the land of H\u00e0 Ti\u00ean, Ki\u00ean Giang today was financially promising, he moved here, and gathered people of different ethnicities to form his own district. After 1700, he became more affiliated with the Nguy\u1ec5n Lord and finally offered his land to the lord in 1724, adding the southernmost part to the modern map of Vietnam. Plus, it was him who gave the name Ph\u00fa Qu\u1ed1c to the famous island and made it part of Vietnam.<\/p>\n

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It was built by M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu’s son<\/h3>\n
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\nThe middle gate leading to the main temple
\nImage credit: Thuydaonguyen\/Wikimedia<\/a><\/p>\n

M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu passed away in 1735 and was succeeded by his son M\u1ea1c Thi\u00ean T\u00edch, or \u911a\u5929\u932b in Chinese. It was M\u1ea1c Thi\u00ean T\u00edch who designed this worshipping complex. Furthermore, he also had two big ponds excavated in front of the mausoleum to help the locals store freshwater. The whole complex was completed in 1739.<\/p>\n

Having been renovated several times, the mausoleum today comprises two main parts: a temple and a graveyard.<\/p>\n

The temple is highly typical of a Chinese temple. On the front, you will see a Chinese-styled gate with a signboard reading \u83ab\u516c\u5edf, meaning The Temple of Duke M\u1ea1c, and a couplet praising his achievements. Going through the gate, you will see a path leading to the main palace, where M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu, M\u1ea1c Thi\u00ean T\u00edch, and their successor, M\u1ea1c T\u1eed Sanh, or \u911a\u5b50\u6ce9 in Chinese, are worshipped.<\/p>\n

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\nM\u1ea1c C\u1eedu’s tomb is guarded by two stone tigers and two general figurines. The figurines are replicates as the original ones have been looted.<\/em>
\nImage credit: Thanh Ni\u00ean<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

On the left of the temple, you will see a way leading to the graveyard of the M\u1ea1c family, which is in a green space on B\u00ecnh San Mountain. The graveyard consists of about 60 tombs divided into 4 sections according to their roles in the family.<\/p>\n

M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu’s tomb is of course the biggest one, and was carved into the mountain to have a crescent shape. This is a very common design of ancient Chinese nobles’ tombs.<\/p>\n

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M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu’s death anniversary is a big event in Ki\u00ean Giang<\/h3>\n
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\nThe local authority members performed the rituals at M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu’s Mausoleum<\/em>
\nImage credit: Ki\u00ean Giang News<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

A special occasion on which you can plan to visit this mausoleum is M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu’s annual death anniversary on the 25th and 26th of the fifth lunar month every year, when locals celebrate M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu’s achievements.<\/p>\n

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\nM\u1ea1c C\u1eedu’s Monument in downtown H\u00e0 Ti\u00ean
\nImage credit: B\u00f9i Th\u1ee5y \u0110\u00e0o Nguy\u00ean\/Wikimedia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The anniversary includes the ceremony and the festival. For the ceremony at M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu Mausoleum, you will find it interesting to see many unique rituals performed by local elderly people.<\/p>\n

The rituals will help you understand more about customs among the Chinese-Vietnamese communities as well as the ceremonies from 17th-century Vietnam. Interestingly, the locals will do a parade from the mausoleum to the M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu Monument downtown H\u00e0 Ti\u00ean, Ki\u00ean Giang.<\/p>\n

After the ceremony, the festivals will begin with lots of art performances and traditional games that can last up to a week.<\/p>\n

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M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu’s Mausoleum<\/h3>\n
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M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu’s Mausoleum is a special historical site in Ki\u00ean Giang, the Mekong Delta.<\/p>\n

Here, you can discover the very last chapter in making Vietnamese territory into what it looks like today, and learn about the life and contributions of the Chinese-Vietnamese community in the southernmost region of Vietnam.<\/p>\n

M\u1ea1c C\u1eedu’s Mausoleum
\n<\/strong>Address:<\/span><\/strong> B\u00ecnh San Historical Site, H\u00e0 Ti\u00ean Town, Ki\u00ean Giang Province
\nOpening hours:<\/span><\/strong> B\u00ecnh San Historical Site, H\u00e0 Ti\u00ean Town, Ki\u00ean Giang Province
\nEntrance fee:<\/span><\/strong> Free<\/p>\n

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