Gò Công

Gò Công
Thành phố Gò Công
Gò Công city
Chanh Tham Biện Palace, Gò Công city
Chanh Tham Biện Palace, Gò Công city
Official seal of Gò Công
Gò Công is located in Vietnam
Gò Công
Gò Công
Location of Gò Công in Vietnam
Coordinates: 10°22′N 106°40′E / 10.367°N 106.667°E / 10.367; 106.667
Country Vietnam
ProvinceTiền Giang
FoundedFebruary 16, 1987
Government
 • Chairman of the People's CommitteeGiản Bá Huỳnh
 • SecretaryNguyễn Kiên Cường
Area
 • Total102.3588 km2 (39.5210 sq mi)
Population
 (December 31, 2022)[1]
 • Total151,937
 • Density1,500/km2 (3,800/sq mi)
Websitetxgocong.tiengiang.gov.vn
Drawing of Gò Công citadel in 1863

Gò Công is a city (thành phố) of Tiền Giang province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. The city of Gò Công is not to be confused with East Gò Công and West Gò Công Districts (Vietnamese: huyện Gò Công Đông and huyện Gò Công Tây) which also belong to the Tiền Giang Province.

The Royal Mausoleums

Trương Định temple

The Gò Công City has many canals, orchards and fields. It is home to an ancient architectural complex called the Lang Hoang Gia (Royal Mausoleums). The mausoleum complex is located in Long Hung Commune in the district's Gò Công Town near National Highway 50, and about 30 kilometers from the province's Mỹ Tho Town. It is the place where people of the Pham Dang lineage, a clan of mandarins and courtiers famous in the southern region in the 18th and 19th centuries, were buried after they died.

The complex

The mausoleums for the deceased aristocrats were built facing each other on both sides of a road. The complex covers an area of nearly 3,000 square meters. The complex is surrounded by a wall, 80 centimetres thick and 90 centimetres high. The ancient gate, decorated with immaculate detail, is now covered with sheets of green moss. Two rows of pines form a path to the mausoleums.

Construction

The mausoleums were built by locals and skillful carpenters from Huế in the central region. Therefore, the complex reflects a traditional Huế architectural style. Several kinds of precious wood were used in the construction of the mausoleum, mostly brought in from the then feudal capital of Huế. No nails were used to connect the wooden pillars, rafters or roof beams of the complex. Wooden tablets with sacred oriental animals and flowers are carved into the surface of much of the wood, creating a great solemnity inside the mausoleums, while imposing pillars add a majesty to the complex.

The Grand Duke

Among the 13 mausoleums built between 1811 and the early 20th century, the mausoleum of Grand Duke Phạm_Đăng_Hưng [vi]—father of Queen Consort Từ Dụ (Phạm Thị Hằng) of the Government of the Nguyễn dynasty (1802–1945) and maternal grandfather of King Tự Đức (1829–1883)—is the most impressive of all. It is located on a mound covering more than 800 square meters and according to local residents, the grand duke was buried in a sitting position inside a two-layered coffin.[2]

References

  1. ^ General Statistics Office of Vietnam (2019). Completed Results of the 2019 Population and Housing Census (PDF). Hanoi: Statistical Publishing House. p. 37. ISBN 978-6047515325. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  2. ^ Source: VietNamNet/TN Reported by Pham Du Ky
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