In recent days, public opinion has been stirred up when the Facebook social network appeared a clip believed to be of a tour guide introducing and conveying information to tourists visiting Hue Citadel with disturbing content. touch about the story Nguyen Dynasty harem.
In the video, the male guide gives unfounded, objectionable explanations and signs of offending the ancestors. Notably, this guide’s hypothetical information is also specifically associated with a famous historical female Nguyen Dynasty.
From this story, many people ask the question of how ancient documents are kept and recorded about the Nguyen harem?
Strict rules when entering the harem
Get in king’s harem is the dream of many ordinary girls. But the history of the Nguyen Dynasty says that, as a rule, only high-ranking officials were allowed to bring their daughters to the palace. The support of the family is also the reason why women are favored by the emperors.
For example, Mrs. Tu Du Nghi Thien Chuong, Queen – wife of King Thieu Tri. As the daughter of a great mandarin, when she first entered the inner palace, she was given a concubine. In the 3rd year of Thieu Tri, she was granted the title of a book and a concubine. In the 6th year, she was ordained as a royal concubine.
| The area of the Forbidden City of the Nguyen Dynasty in Hue. Photo: Quoc Le. |
After entering the palace, the daughters will be divided into ranks and enjoy the perks according to the regulations of the court. When entering here, all of them wish to live in luxury and be loved by the king. Along with their prestigious origin, if luck smiles, they will be able to change their lives and glorify the whole family.
The hierarchy of concubines
During the Nguyen Dynasty, the mandarins had the Nine Products, the women had the Nine Orders – nine concubines like other feudal dynasties. According to the book “Dai Nam Thuc Luc” and the book “Kham Kham Dai Nam Hoi Dien Su Le”, the 17th year of Minh Mang (1836), the king issued an edict to place nine concubines in the inner palace (nine orders). Those nine levels include: First-class concubine, second-order concubine, third-order frequency, fourth-order frequency, five-stage good-for-nothing, six-level judicious, seven-level noble, eight-level beauty, and nine-level talent. Hoang Quy consort is above all nine ranks, is the treasurer in the palace, governs the Luc Institute, helps in internal affairs, strictly maintains internal affairs.
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| Corridor of the Forbidden City. Photo: Quoc Le. |
Depending on the high and low rank in the harem, it also determines the place of food and residence of the concubine. The royal consort stayed at Cao Minh Palace. This is the main hall of the Khon Thai Palace, located right behind the Can Thanh Palace – impregnated with the Emperor’s palace. The first and second concubines stayed at Trinh Minh Palace. This temple is located to the east of Can Thanh Palace. The third, fourth, and fifth orders are located at Thuan Huy Institute, located to the east of Khon Thai Palace. From the sixth grade to the ninth grade, the talents were divided in 3 institutes in the northwest of the Khon Thai palace: Doan Tuong, Doan Thuan and Doan Hoa.
The palace people who have not been ordained, the maids, and the eunuchs are divided into two institutes, Doan Huy and Doan Trang. The Institute of Doan Trang is also a place to teach court etiquette for new palace people. When they first entered the Forbidden City, they had to gather daily at Doan Trang Vien to learn the rules, rules, the art of behavior, the taboos or the art of serving the king, how to speak and walk.
In terms of salary and bonus, in the 17th year of Minh Mang (1836), in addition to setting the hierarchy of the inner palace, the king also standardized the annual allowances: Royal concubine received the highest reward: 1,000 dong of money, 300 dong of rice. 1 square of rice is equal to 13 pounds or 30 bowls of rice by mouth); The first stage of the concubine is 500 yuan, 250 rice… The rest of the 9 concubines receive money and rice gradually.
“Hidden corner” in life in the harem
In general, the concubines in the harem had a comfortable and full life compared to most common women of the time. They can relax, enjoy the cool air, see flowers in the royal garden, play the piano, read stories, compose poetry or watch plays with the king on holidays.
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| Duyet Thi Duong Theater in the Forbidden City. Photo: Quoc Le. |
Many people are satisfied with life in the forbidden palace, but there are also people who are sad and lonely because they are not cared for by the king. The pain is multiplied when they can’t complain to anyone. When the king passed away, the women had to leave the inner palace and go to the mausoleum to take care of worship and incense for the king. Among them, there are new people 17, 18 years old. Youth seems to end here.
In addition to falling into a lonely situation, conflicts between concubines are also another aspect of harem life. This story was told in his memoirs by Michel Duc Chaigneau – the son of a French ambassador who served during the reign of King Gia Long.
Author Ton That Binh in two books “The Royal Life of the Nguyen Dynasty” (Thuan Hoa Publishing House, 1993) and “Life in the Forbidden City” (Da Nang Publishing House, 1996) also describe in detail the abstinences. taboo that the Nguyen dynasty concubines had to strictly follow.
Specifically, they absolutely must not say ugly, vulgar or ominous words such as “blind”, “crippled”, “dead”, “leprosy”, “leprosy”… When the king is sick, the concubines will call them “se”, “tight”, “micro form”; when the emperor wakes up called “nature”. When the king went out for a walk, it was called “go for a walk” or when he died, it was called “glacial”. More importantly, the Nguyen dynasty’s concubines were not allowed to call the emperor, empress, royal family directly…
From before entering the palace until the period of living in the harem, the concubine will have to learn how to talk and avoid committing taboos. Therefore, concubines often do not speak much and learn to speak softly and tactfully.
In terms of costumes, the Nguyen dynasty’s concubines were not free to choose their favorite colors. Particularly black color must be especially avoided because it is considered a bad omen, mourning. White is also used only as underwear. Yellow is reserved for the king, so the beautiful women use red and green costumes. Also in appearance, the Nguyen dynasty concubine had to strictly follow the rules of parting their hair in the middle, keeping their nails long and dyed their teeth black.
When they became concubines and beauties in the harem, they were not allowed to visit their families, unless their parents were sick or seriously ill. Even if parents are allowed to visit the palace, they can only talk by a curtain. This makes many concubines sad because they cannot comfortably meet and talk with their loved ones…
It can be said that these are very “normal” aspects of the forbidden palace of the Nguyen Dynasty. And perhaps there are many other interesting stories that will never be told, because the things that have been witnessed with their own eyes have all fallen asleep…