Chi Lang - the road that preserves the mark of time

Gia Hoi Street during the French colonial period (Historical photo)

Interesting anecdote

First, on Chi Lang Street there was Tho Xuan Palace. Tho Xuan Vuong was the third son of King Minh Mang. He was famous for his poetry and repartee. Legend has it that: In 1842, Tho Xuan Vuong followed King Thieu Tri to the North for the coronation ceremony. On the main day of the ceremony, the Qing envoy rode straight into Chu Tuoc gate in a palanquin. The officials who were welcoming him could not stop him. Tho Xuan Vuong had a stern face and told him to stop. The Qing envoy then got off his horse and walked in leisurely. When he returned to Hue , King Thieu Tri gave him a gem to wear, on which were engraved the four words "Dac di quyen huu", meaning special love and protection.

On Chi Lang street there was Phu Quang Bien Quan Cong. He was the 51st prince of King Minh Mang, a man famous for his poetry and understanding of medicine, who once diagnosed King Tu Duc.

Besides, Chi Lang street also has Phu Hoa Thanh Vuong, the 37th son of King Minh Mang. During the time when the patriotic King Thanh Thai was accused of being "rebellious" by the French colonialists and their henchmen in the Hue court, and was imprisoned on Bong Doanh island on Tinh Tam lake, Hoa Thanh Vuong was assigned the responsibility of arranging for the mandarins in the court to take turns serving King Thanh Thai well, so he was greatly respected by King Thanh Thai.

On Chi Lang road, there is also Thoai Thai Vuong Palace. Thoai Thai Vuong was the fourth son of King Thieu Tri. When he was young, he was smarter than usual, and when he grew up, he was good at poetry, so he was very loved by his father. There is an anecdote that King Tu Duc was very proud of his talent, but had to confess when comparing himself with Thoai Thai Vuong: "I am ashamed that I am not equal/ Because I am four years older, we are older than each other". Thoai Thai Vuong was the father of King Duc Duc. His grandson and great-grandson were King Thanh Thai and King Duy Tan. King Duc Duc only sat on the throne for less than 3 days. King Thanh Thai and King Duy Tan were exiled to Reunion Island (Africa) because they loved their country and fought against the French.

In comparison, the legends of Chi Lang Street are no less interesting than those of Duong Lam Ancient Village ( Hanoi ), which attracts a large number of tourists every year. For example, Duong Lam Ancient Village is the birthplace of King Ngo Quyen and Bo Cai Dai Vuong Phung Hung, so it is called "the land of two kings", while Chi Lang Street is the residence of Thoai Thai Vuong and his descendants are the three kings Duc Duc, Thanh Thai, and Duy Tan.

Forgotten "gold mine"

Ancient features still exist on Chi Lang street

Chi Lang Street is currently 1,850m long, running parallel to the Huong River bank in Gia Hoi and Phu Hau wards (Phu Xuan district, Hue city).

Chi Lang Street was formed in the early 19th century, at the same time as the construction of Hue Citadel under King Gia Long. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, along with the development of commercial activities of Vietnamese and Chinese people, the street quickly became an important traffic hub of the Eastern quarter of the capital. In 1908, the street was named Rue Gia Hoi (Gia Hoi Street). In 1956, the street was renamed Chi Lang, after a northern border gate (Chi Lang Pass).

The Chinese were very good at business and trade, and had a rich source of goods to exchange from China. In addition to the Nguyen Dynasty's policy of "closed-door trade" (banning trade with the West but prioritizing trade with China), the number of Chinese merchants coming to Hue increased day by day. Chi Lang Street has become the place with the largest Chinese community in Hue ever. The Chinese architectural works on this street are as beautiful as those in Hoi An ancient town. From Chieu Ung Temple, Ba Pagoda, Quang Dong Pagoda to Trieu Chau Assembly Hall, Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, Quang Trieu Assembly Hall were all built very elaborately. In the 1930s, the famous Nhi Thien Duong oil of Chinese businessman Vi Thieu Ba had a representative office in Hue at 18 Rue Gia Hoi.

There is a famous place on this street called Dinh market. According to researcher Nguyen Dac Xuan, this area was a military barracks under the Nguyen lords. The Chinese came here to trade, so they called the military area Dinh. Dinh market during the Nguyen dynasty consisted of 8 shops: Gia Thai, Hoa My, Phong Lac, Dinh Ninh, Hoi Hoa, My Hung, Thuy Lac and Tam Dang, collectively called 8 shops along the river (Duyen Giang Bat Hang).

Thanh Binh Tu Duong was ranked as a national historical and cultural relic in 1992.

More specifically, Chi Lang Street is a route with many spiritual architectural works of the Vietnamese people. The first is Thanh Binh Tu Duong, which worships the ancestors of the opera industry and those who have contributed to the theater industry throughout the country during the Nguyen Dynasty, and was ranked as a national historical and cultural relic in 1992. In recent years, in addition to the annual worship of the ancestors of the opera industry, Thanh Binh Tu Duong has also welcomed two famous theater art troupes to perform. They are the Song Huong Opera Troupe and the Ngoc Khanh Opera Troupe - Opera Troupe.

Hat Boi at Thanh Binh Tu Duong

Next is the ancient Truong Xuan pagoda built during the Nguyen lords' reign. This is an ancient pagoda established during the reign of Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat (17th century) with the original name Ky Vien Am. During the Nguyen dynasty (1804), it was changed to Xuan An Tu. Interestingly, the pagoda's altar does not worship Buddha but worships the Jade Emperor, the Holy Mother and Quan Cong.

Finally, there is the house of an Indian Hindu family. This is the only architecture of this type in Hue.

Currently, Chi Lang Street also has traditional craft villages. The most prominent is the lantern making village serving the Buddha's birthday season at alley 399, 401 Chi Lang Street, Phu Hau Ward.

I think, if given attention and effective investment in terms of tourism and conservation, Chi Lang road will certainly be a "gold mine" to enhance Hue tourism./.

Nguyen Van Toan

Source: https://baolongan.vn/chi-lang-con-duong-luu-giu-dau-an-thoi-gian-a200291.html