Image of a general commanding the naval forces in the Nguyen Dynasty.

 

About 375 years ago, Lord Nguyen Phuc Lan (1648-1687) selected Kim Long in Hue as the capital city in the South. At that time, the Lord often selected a section of the Huong River in front of the Lord’s palace to organize the naval manoeuvre, showing off the strength, techniques and skills of the marines.

 

The generals commanding the naval manoeuvre.

 

In the dynasty of the Nguyen Lords, Kim Long played the main role in the South for 51 consecutive years (1636-1687) because it owned the traffic routes, favourable both on land and in water, and it was a bustling town with the Lord’s palace, a great court yard, training ground, wharf, etc. French Professor Alexandre De Rhodes spared a chapter in the book entitled “Itinerary and Evangelization” to describe three naval manoeuvres in the dynasty of the Nguyen Lords that was published in 1653 in Paris, France.

A team of boats carrying firing materials.

Based on historical documents collected by Alexandre De Rhodes, the naval manoeuvres during the time of the Nguyen Lords were reproduced at Hue Festival 2010 on the section of the Huong River in front of Kim Long Village’s Communal House with the participation of 1,300 people and 72 warships. The stage on land was the model of a Ruong (wooden) house with three compartments and two-side wings and in front of it was displayed a bronze cauldron, symbolizing the power and art of the Nguyen Lords. In the middle of the river were two blazing rafts that provided light for all activities of the manoeuvres and created the effect for the performance space. On 72 warships were torches, making the river dazzlingly bright.

A team of boat carrying cannons.

The festival consists of three parts, including the offering rite to the Nguyen Lords, the manoeuvre to show the power of the naval forces on land and the last but most interesting manoeuvre on the river. To the drumbeats and sounds of gongs, marines with shining swords and scimitars lined up with great enthusiasm. The ships carrying marines who were determined to fight to the finish impetuously broke the waves and sailed towards the enemy ships.

A team of warships carrying pointed stakes is ready to attack the enemy’s ships.

The River resounded with their cheers. Several guns on the ships and on land opened fire, the light of artilleries mingling with thousands of the sparking colours of fireworks performance made the atmosphere of the night of manoeuvres more grandiose, reflecting the might of the naval forces.