Tomb of the notable Dương Khuê

Notable Dương Khuê (1839 - 1902): His courtesy name was Giới Nhu, his pen name Vân Trì; he was from Vân Đình village and came from a traditional Confucian scholar family. He passed the doctoral examination in the Mậu Thìn cohort (1868) and held important positions such as Prefect of Bình Giang, Provincial Judge of Hải Phòng, Governor-General of Định Ninh, with the rank of Minister.

Patriotic spirit: He was among the pro-war scholar-officials and once submitted a petition urging the court to resolutely fight the French, but Emperor Tự Đức commented that he was "ignorant of current affairs" and demoted him. Dissatisfied with the times, he resigned from office and retired in 1897.

Cultural contributions: He made great contributions to elevating the art of ca trù (hát nói) to a model and scholarly level. His works, typically the piece "Hồng Hồng, Tuyết Tuyết", embody a noble philosophy of life, convey reflections on the times, and show flexibility in language. His name has been given to streets in Ho Chi Minh City and the capital Hanoi.

Scale and landscape: The tomb was built after his death (in 1902) and remains intact as on the day it was first constructed. The structure is modest in scale but solemn, located amid fields with lush green trees around it.

Characteristics: The tomb, together with the Dương Family Temple (Ất Hạ branch), forms a complex of relics memorializing a notable person, educating later generations in the spirit of learning and patriotism.

The tomb area preserves representative artifacts from the 20th century, including:

• Portrait stele: Made of blue stone and attached to the arm of the throne above the tomb. The stele is carved with a portrait of Mr. Dương Khuê in soft lines and inscribed with the words "Dương Khuê (1839-1902)".

• Tomb stele: Made of blue stone and attached to the front enclosing wall. In the center of the stele are carved Chinese characters "Vân Trì Dương công chi mộ"; on both sides are carved a pair of Nôm couplets praising his virtues: "Virtue of filial piety and loyalty shines bright; through all ages Lord Dương is gloriously renowned / Humanity, wisdom, and righteousness illuminate; for a thousand years descendants will forever remember and inscribe" (the stele now has a crack).

• Porcelain incense bowl: White glaze with blue painting, featuring the motif "two dragons flanking a taiji circle" and stylized dragons at the base.

Ritual activities: The worship of the notable Dương Khuê is closely associated with belief activities at the Dương Family Temple (Vân Đình Town).

On holidays and Tết, especially on the death anniversary, clan descendants perform solemn ritual ceremonies (offering incense, offering wine, and reading the eulogy) at the temple. After completing the ceremony at the temple, descendants continue to conduct rituals and pay respects at the tomb area in Đồng Tiến Commune.

Zoning: According to the current-status map surveyed and drawn in September 2018 and the zoning record dated September 25, 2018, the competent agencies agreed to delimit only Protection Zone I (because the relic is adjacent to cultivated land, the original elements are preserved in their original state).

Area: Protection Zone I has a total area of 26.4 m2, bounded by marker points 1 through 7, 1 on the map.

Boundaries: All four sides (east, west, south, north) adjoin concrete roads and cultivated land of Đồng Tiến Commune. All illegal construction and extraction activities in this area are strictly prohibited.