Bảo tàng lịch sử Quốc gia

After the death of King Le Thai To (1433), the Court decided to bury him at Lam Son. Since then on, Lam Son becomes the place of burying of the kings and queens of the posterior Le. Thus, as the Ly have the village Dinh Bang/Bang forest (Bac Ninh), and the Tran have the region Tam Duong (Thai Binh), then Dong Trieu (Quang Ninh), Lam Son has become a “forbidden territory, reserved to royal tombs” of the Le.

Immediately after the success of the Lam Son uprising, in quality of natal country and country of origin of the dynasty of the posterior Le, Lam Son was considered as the second capital of the Dai Viet of the Le, after Dong Do/Dong Kinh/Thang Long, with the name of Tay Kinh/Lam Kinh. Together with the royal tombs, one has constructed many architectural monuments such as palaces and temples, surrounded by a system of water streams, with, in front, the river Chu and a system of mounts and hills such as the mount Dau, the mount Muc, the mount Chau. The whole has created a sacred Lam son/Lam Kinh in middle of the Lam Son forest. Lam Son/Lam kinh becomes famous, deeply imprinted in the population conscience, a particularly important territory, the “basis” of the Le.

The annals report that, when a king dies, the Court solemnly organizes his funeral ceremonies, and buries him at Lam Son, or one waits a year, organizes a ceremony for the souls and then buries him at Lam Son. The burying consists to construct the tomb, the mausoleum and to erect the stele registering the biography and the deeds of the dead king. The 6 first kings of the Le have been buried at Lam Son, they are Thai To, Thai Tong, Nhan Tong, Thanh Tong, Hien Tong and Tuc Tong. After Tuc Tong, there are still 4 kings: Uy Muc, Tuong Duc, Chieu Tong and Cung Hoang, but no one can continue his reign until death. All have been abolished, or usurped, or killed by their successors. They have been buried elsewhere but not at Lam Kinh.

- Vinh Lang de Le Thai To: After the success of the Lam Son uprising (1428), Le Loi acceded to the throne and took the reign name of Thuan Thien. His reign lasted 6 years, with many deeds as founder of the dynasty. He died on the 22^th day of the 8^th month of the 6^th year Thuan Thien (1433) and was buried on the 23^th day of the 10^th month at Vinh Lang (Lam Son)

- Huu Lang de Le Thai Tong: the king has for birth name Nguyen long, is a younger son of Le Thai To and Cung Tu Hoang Thai Hau who has for birth name Pham Tran. He was born in the year Qui mao (1423) and was appointed duke of Luong in 1438, heir prince in 1429. He acceded to the throne in 1434, took the reign name of Thieu Binh. He remained at the throne 9 years (1434-1442), died at the age of 20 years and was buried at Huu Lang.

- Muc lang of Le Nhan Tong: the king has for birth name Bang Co, was the third son of Thai Tong. His mother was Tuyen Tu Hoang Thai Hau Nguyen Thi Anh. He was born in the second year Dai Bao (1441), was appointed heir prince in the third year (1442), acceded to the throne on the 8^th day of the 12^th month, took the reign name of Thai Hoa, remained at the throne 17 years, died at the age of 19 years and was buried at Muc Lang.

- Chieu Lang of Le Thanh Tong: the king has for birth name Tu Thanh, for pseudonym Thien Nam Dong Chu (Dao Am Chu Nhan), is a younger son of Le Thai Tong, remained at the throne 38 years (1459-1497), died at the age of 56 years and was buried at Chieu Lang.

- Du Lang of Le Hien Tong: the king has for birth name Sanh (and Huy). He was the eldest son of Le Thanh Tong and of the queen Truong Lac Thanh Tu Hoang Thai Hau Nguyen Hang (Huyen), remained at the throne 7 years (1497-1504), died at the age of 44 years and was buried at Du Lang, in the west (right) of Vinh Lang.

- Kinh Lang of Le Tuc Tong: the king has for birth name Thuan, was the third son of Le Hien Tong. His mother was Trang Thuan Hoang Thai Hau, had for birth name Nguyen Hoan. The king remained nearly one year on the throne (1504-1505), died at the age of 17 years and was buried at Kinh Lang.

Besides, Lam Son shelters the tombs of queens such as Ngo Thi Ngoc Dao, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Huyen, princess Thuy Hoa as well as certain dignitaries founders of the dynasty, of which it still remains the tombs and the steles.

- Tomb of queen Ngo Thi Ngoc Dao: she is the queen Quang Thuc Hoang Thai Hau, whose father is Ngo Tu, courtier of Le Thai To. She followed her sister Xuan to the royal palace, was noticed by King Thai Tong who took her in his harem. In the first year Dai Bao (1440), she was appointed Tiep Du and the next year gave birth to King Le Thanh Tong. At the first year Quang Thuan (1460), she was appointed queen-mother. She died at the age of 76 years in 1498 and was buried at Khon Nguyen Lang.

- Tomb of Nguyen Thi Ngoc Huyen: she was the wife of King Le Thanh Tong, mother of King Hien Tong, died in 1505. She was buried at the Coi Ke sector, village of Dao Xa, commune of Xuan Lam. The tomb has been destroyed and it remains only pieces of animal statues.

The tombs of Lam Kinh has been restored, the statues of persons and animals has been replaced correctly, the steles are protected under roofs, and the place becomes a sacred place, satisfying to spiritual needs of visitors.

Nguyen Van Doan