Where is the Duong Kinh? How is its role for the existence of the Mac dynasty? This is still a subject that was interesting for many researchers recently.
Where is the Duong Kinh? How is its role for the existence of the Mac dynasty? This is still a subject that was interesting for many researchers recently.
Firstly, the exact position and distribution of the Duong Kinh capital are only defined basing on the Vietnamese official historical documents. However it is not easy to study for researchers because the oldest historical book “Dai Viet (Vietnam) general history” written by Ngo Si Lien (15
th century) recorded the Mac dynasty without the Duong Kinh capital. Until 18
th century, in the book “Dai Viet (Viet Nam) history” written by Le Quy Don, had some records of the Duong Kinh capital with paragraph meanning: on the June 1527, Mac Dang Dung (name of the first king of Mac dynasty) entranced in capital and stayed in the official palace, offered sacrifices to Heaven, set up the capital with name Duong Kinh, build a palace at Co Trai (Co Trai village, Hai Phong city now)… . So these records showed the distributed space of the Duong Kinh was very big and included: the ancient Hai Duong region (Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Hai Phong and a part of Thai Binh provinces now).
In the 19th century, the record of the book “Dai Nam (Viet Nam) united history” published and issued by The History Board of Nguyen dynasty showed the distributed space of the Duong Kinh capital was restricted and more clear with paragraph meanning: The Mac dynasty set up Duong Kinh capital in Nghi Duong (Nghi Duong district belong to Hai Phong city, Northern Viet Nam now), cut the districts: Thuan An (in the Tonkin region) and Khoai Chau, Tan Hung, Kien Xuong, Thai Binh (in the East and South region of Hanoi now) belong to the Duong Kinh. This book also showed the Nghi Duong district had been existent in the Early Le dynasty (15th century). In the year of 10th of Quang Thuan reign (1469), Le king ordered drawing a country map, the Nghi Duong district belong to Hai Duong region (Hai Duong province now). Moreover, according to the other historical documents, the king Mac Dang Dung was born at the Co Trai village, Nghi Duong distric. That’s why the Duong Kinh had been belong to the Nghi Duong district, Hai Duong region.
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Passing the long time of addministrative changes by the Nguyen dynasty and recently government, the Nghi Duong is belong to the Kien Thuy district, Hai Phong city now. Untill now, there is still a village with name Co Trai belong to Ngu Doan commune where is recorded as the homeland of king Mac Dang Dung with an ancestal temple togethor and a late generation of Mac line. That’s why the researchers defined the Co Trai village is not only homeland of Mac Dang Dung King but also the centre of the Duong Kinh capital of Mac dynasty.
Returning to the Mac dynasty (16th century), after taking the throne, the Mac Dang Dung king set up the Duong Kinh capital in Nghi Duong and ordered constructing a palace in the Co Trai and the other royal architectures for the royal dailylife activities. In the book “Dai Viet (Vietnam) history” with records meanning: on June 1527, the Mac Dang Dung king ordered constructing a palace for him with name Phuc Y to the west of Hung Quoc palace in the Duong King capital. So, before becoming the second capital (apart from Dong Kinh capital, Hanoi now), in the Co Trai (the Duong Kinh) had a palace with name Hung Quoc. According to the opinions of excavators, the Hung Quoc palace could be the residence and bureau of Mac Dang Dung when he was a madarin of Le dynast.
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The historical documents also recorded many architectures with big scale for living, giving audience and mausoliums were built. So the Co Trai (or Duong Kinh) was not only the country estates of the Mac dynasty but also a big centre of politic, economy, culture of Vietnam in 16
th century, the second capital of the Mac dynasty and the first riverbank, coastal urban of Vietnam. However apart from some stone steles, worshipped satues, balustrates in the dragon forms remained in some temples and pagodas that near the Co Trai, there is not any vestiges remained at the Co Trai.
All these vestiges and relics will be taken part in studying the Duong Kinh capital of Mac dynasty in particular and the fields of history, culture, fine art of Mac dynasty in general. It’s certainly, with many diffirent studied, approached methods, the significent Duong Kinh capital of Mac dynasty will be gradually recovered by archaeologists.