VietNamNet Bridge – The inscription carved on a cliff recording the victory of the King’s father Tran Minh Tong is one of the most special epitaphs of feudal historians. Seven centuries have passed but the rock inscription still looks fresh.

This inscription has been existing for nearly 7 centuries.

After three times defeating the Mongol Empire, the Tran Dynasty embarked on the rehabilitation and development of the country. Under the reign of the good kings, the supremacy of Dai Viet (Vietnam today) grew quickly. But this time, some local chiefs as well as the neighboring troops often infested the border.

After suppressing Nguu Hong in Da Giang, the Lord of Ai Lao (Laos today) provoked in the border of Dai Viet, in Western Nghe An today.

In 1335, in the reign of King Tran Hien Tong, the King’s father Tran Minh Tong decided to directly command the army to suppress Ai Lao. After defeating Ai Lao army, the King’s father instructed a scholar named Nguyen Trung Ngan to compose inscription to carve onto a cliff to celebrate the victory. The inscription is still preserved at Thanh Nam Mountain, in Chi Khe Commune, Con Cuong district, Nghe An province.

The epitaph consists of only 14 lines with 155 characters, engraved on a limestone cliff, facing the Lam River. It is the testament to the spirit of protecting the territory of the Tran dynasty and Dai Viet people, as well as a reminder, a deterrent for the chieftains who plot against the stability and unity of the country at that time.

Autographs of Tran Dynasty’s famous scholar

Thanh Nam mountain, which has the oldest rock inscription in Vietnam.

Unlike other rock inscriptions, the inscription in Thanh Nam mountain was engraved directly on the rock and it was not noted with the name of the writer. However, historical books said that the writer of that stele is Nguyen Trung Ngan, a famous mandarin of the Tran Dynasty.

In 1314, Nguyen Trung Ngan was appointed as Vietnamese Ambassador to the Yuan Dynasty (China). In 1341, he was assigned as the top official of Thang Long. He is the most famous top official in the history of Thang Long - Hanoi. He was rated by historian Phan Huy Chu as one of the ten heroes of the Tran Dynasty, on par with Lieutenant General Tran Quang Khai, Mac Dinh Chi, Truong Han Sieu, Doan Nhu Hai and Pham Su Manh.

Nguyen Trung Ngan was a writer, a poet, a talented composer. He and Truong Han Sieu compiled two codes but they were not preserved. He left nearly 90 poems on different poem books. For his writing talents, he often escorted the King’s father to compile the royal annals. The inscription carved on a cliff in Nghe An, named Ma Nhai, is the only literary remains of his.

The contents of the epitaph in Nghe An.

This epitaph includes only 155 letters but it covers a very large area (213cm x 155cm). Each letter has a diameter of about 10.5 cm.

According to the French School of the Far East, by 1945, 1,157 inscriptions were discovered in Vietnam, mostly epitaphs from the Le and Nguyen Dynasties and are concentrated in the Red River Delta. The vast majority of the above inscriptions are manipulated epitaphs. There are several epitaphs carved on cliffs, called “Ma nhai.” These epitaphs often record the operations or tours of kings.

The epitaph by Nguyen Trung Ngan in Nghe An today is the oldest “ma nhai” inscription in Vietnam. This is a particularly rare material in the study of history, literature, and is a unique historical treasure in the national culture. In July 2011, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized this inscription as the National Cultural History Relic.

Compiled by Minh Hang