Lam Kinh, located in Tho Xuan District, Thanh Hoa Province, is an ancient capital built by King Le Loi in 1428, marking the start of the victory against the Ming invaders.
Built in the king's hometown, the site was intended for ancestral worship and as a royal resting place.
Traces of exquisite artistic architecture
In 2012, Lam Kinh was designated as a Special National Relic Site. The site is renowned not only for its distinctive architecture but also for its centuries-old trees, intertwined with mystical legends.
The Lam Kinh Special National Relic Site now covers an area of 200 hectares across Tho Xuan and Ngoc Lac districts, situated over 50 kilometers Northwest of Thanh Hoa City. Initially modest in scale, the complex served as a place of worship and burial for kings and queens. Over time, it was expanded into a larger sanctuary for royal worship and retreat.
Due to its sacred importance, the Later Le Dynasty assigned guards to protect the site for centuries. However, wars, natural disasters, and human neglect eventually reduced Lam Kinh to ruins, leaving behind traces of its former magnificence.
The Jade Well in Lam Kinh is one of the largest ancient wells still existing today.
Although the temples, shrines, and sancturies at Lam Kinh are no longer intact, the relics, foundations, and tombs preserve immense historical value. Classified as a national relic in 1962, Lam Kinh underwent a restoration project approved by the Prime Minister in 1994. In 2012, it was officially recognized as a Special National Relic Site, reaffirming its priceless historical and cultural significance.
Archaeological excavations have revealed traces of Lam Kinh's architectural layout, showcasing a well-planned, sophisticated design that harmoniously integrates natural landscapes with human-made structures. Key constructions, such as the sanctum, ancestral temple, and royal tombs, were thoughtfully designed to blend seamlessly with the natural terrain, forming a majestic and unified complex.
Intricate decorative features, including dragon heads, bas-reliefs, decorative bricks, and cloud-dragon motifs, reflect extraordinary craftsmanship in wood, brick, and stone. These structures not only hold great artistic value but also carry deep spiritual meaning, serving as places for ancestral, kings, and queens worship and acting as the administrative and cultural hub of the Le dynasty.
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Toan, Head of the Lam Kinh Special National Relic Site Management Board, highlighted that approximately one-third of the hundreds of thousands of annual visitors to Lam Kinh are students. The site also attracts a large number of international tourists, along with domestic visitors, who come to admire its beauty, pay respects, and express gratitude for the sacrifices and contributions of their ancestors.
Lam Kinh is also home to five ancient stone steles, which serve as invaluable resources for the study of history, culture, and sculpture. These steles have been officially recognized as National Treasures by the Prime Minister.
Stories steeped in legend
Lam Kinh is not only the site of the Lam Son uprising and King Le Loi's monumental victory over the Ming invaders but also a land filled with mysterious and captivating tales. Among the most notable is the story of an ancient ironwood (Erythrophleum fordii) tree, estimated to be around 600 years old, grown within the historical site.
According to Hoang Thi Hien, a guide at the site, when the project to restore the Lam Kinh sanctum was approved in 2010, the ironwood tree suddenly died and shed its leaves. Strikingly, when the tree was felled, its core was found intact and solid, unlike other ironwood trees, which are often hollow. Even more intriguing, the tree's dimensions perfectly aligned with the stone bases of the main pillars of the sanctum. Locals believe this tree was "destined" to contribute to the restoration of the historical structure, symbolically linked to King Le Loi and serving as a sacred bridge between past and present.
Another fascinating tale surrounds a "laughing" guava tree at Vinh Mausoleum, the resting place of King Le Thai To. This unique guava tree, with its small leaves, emits a sound resembling laughter when its trunk is scratched. Curiously, this phenomenon occurs only within the grounds of King Le Thai To's tomb and does not happen when the tree is planted elsewhere.
The giant banyan-gold apple tree, standing in a corner of the dragon yard, is so large that many people can barely wrap their arms around it.
The story of the banyan-gold apple (Diospyros decandra) tree is an integral part of Lam Kinh's legacy. Originally a large gold apple tree laden with fruit, it became intertwined with a banyan tree after birds feeding on the gold apple's fruits inadvertently carried banyan seeds into its trunk. Over time, the banyan tree grew and enveloped the gold apple tree, forming the unique banyan-gold apple tree seen today. In 2013, this tree was recognized as a Vietnamese Heritage Tree, symbolizing proliferation and the connection between the past and present.
These tales are more than mere legends; they embody the beliefs and reverence of the people for their ancestors’ protection. Lam Kinh, with its rich and mystical stories, becomes a sacred space where visitors can delve into history while sensing the profound spiritual energy of the land. These narratives further enhance Lam Kinh's cultural and historical significance, underscoring its importance to the people of Thanh Hoa and the nation as a whole.
