Buzz
Two military expeditions led by Tôn Thất Lệ and Trần Xuân Soạn from the Imperial City of Huế simultaneously opened fire. Initially, the enemy forces were confused by the surprise attack but later regained their positions and counterattacked, capturing the Imperial City of Huế.
The enemy attacked our forces at Hàng Bè Street (now Đào Duy Anh Street, Huỳnh Thúc Kháng) but were blocked at the Thanh Long culvert. They then shifted to Lê Văn Hưu Street and advanced along Âm Hồn Street (now Lê Thánh Tôn Street) to directly attack and advance towards the Imperial City.
On the morning of July 5, 1885, French troops poured into the Imperial City, committing horrifying acts of arson, murder, and looting. A desperate and tragic stampede occurred. The most affected were the people inside the citadel, where nearly every family lost someone, to the extent that historical records could not capture all the victims of the event.
Many people were hit by bullets, crushed, and trampled to death. Some fell while trying to climb out of the city, or slipped and fell to drown in the Tịnh Tâm and Phú Văn lakes... The number of people who died hastily was countless, with mourning clothes for the loved ones who died painfully.
Establishment of the Âm Hồn Temple
Nearly 10 years later, when the French colonialists planned the streets of Huế, hundreds of skeletons were found, most concentrated in the culvert area of the Phu Văn lake. This was where people from various directions gathered to find a way out of the city gates.
The discovery of numerous skeletons was reported to the Ministry of Rites. Over 40 iron chests were then transported to collect the remaining bones temporarily placed in a corner lot for cremation and Buddhist ceremonies. These chests of skeletons were later buried in cemeteries along the foothills of Ngự Bình mountain.
In remembrance, the people initially erected three temporary altars made of clay bricks, topped with a pristine stone. Later, the community raised funds to build a shrine: a larger central shrine to worship military officials, a shrine on the right to worship female spirits, and a shrine on the left to worship male spirits, called the Âm Hồn Shrine.
Since then, the road in front of the shrine has also been called Âm Hồn Street. After 1975, the street was renamed Lê Thánh Tôn, but generations of people from ancient Huế still call it Âm Hồn Street.
After more than 118 years, this has always been an important spiritual and cultural site in the consciousness of the people of Huế. The Âm Hồn Shrine was renovated from late 2012 to January 2013 thanks to funds contributed by the people and the government. The renovation process replaced the wooden support columns, re-roofed with new tiles, and changed the decorative items.
Every year on the 23rd of the 5th lunar month, a ceremony to honor the spirits is held meticulously according to the traditional rituals in Huế, with elegiac essays. The tradition of honoring the spirits is deeply humane and compassionate, embodying the folk festival typical of the cultural heritage region.
According to researchers, along with the Âm Hồn Shrine, the Âm Hồn Orchestra was also established by the Nguyễn dynasty to commemorate that tragic event. However, only the shrine is known to the public and receives offerings and worship, while the orchestra is currently being surveyed to rediscover its location.
The people of Hue can never forget the day of May 23rd long ago. Perhaps nowhere else in the S-shaped country is there a ceremony as grand as the annual ritual at the Am Hon Temple on the 23rd of the 5th lunar month in Hue.
For 137 years, history has had its ups and downs, but the people have persevered in their rituals with steadfast devotion, with love for their homeland. When visiting Hue during these ceremonies, tourists will feel the high-minded gesture, the long-standing humanistic culture of the people here.
According to Mytour
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourNovember 2, 2022
