Lam Son - Lam Kinh is “sacred land and extraordinary people” region, hometown of nation’s hero - Le Loi, the originally-raise up area of Lam Son Uprising defeating Minh forces in 10 hard years (1418-1427), the eternal resting area of the Queens of Le dynasty.
The Lam Son Uprising led by nation’s hero Le Loi did occur in the spring 1428 in Lam Son forests. Going through mill, with the solidarity and the justice of the fights for national liberation, the uprising got victory. In the April 15th 1428, Le Loi did take the throne in Dong Do (Thang Long - Ha Noi), got the era name as Thuan Thien, named the country as Dai Viet, begun the most prosperous and peaceful dynasty in the Vietnam feudal history- the Late Le dynasty, lasted 360 years.
In 1430, Le Loi renamed Lam Son to Tay Kinh (also called Lam Kinh). In 1433, Le Thai To deceased and buried in Vinh Lang, Lam Son. Since then, Lam Kinh became the royal cemetery.
To succeed King Le Thai To, after coming to the throne, Kinh Le Thai Tong continued to build Lam Kinh palace. The Lam Kinh palace was initially built in small scale, mostly like "Son Lang" (the royal cemetery and worshiping place for the ancestor, Kings and Queens of the Early Le dynasty). Later on, to serve the Kings and royal court when they came back homeland, over times, Lam Kinh palace was gradually extended to large scale.
For centuries, the Lam Kinh complex was always restored many times. Nearly six centuries passed, with many rises and falls of the nation, the harshness of nature and the people’s unawareness, Lam Kinh was seriously downgraded and became ruins.
Despite the palaces, temples, shrines are mostly gone, with the surrounding landscape, the architectural foundations and artefacts of the Late Le dynasty remained, Lam Kinh is still a “red address” for Thanh Hoa people in particular and the country in general, need to be preserved and promote the traditional educational values. Therefore, in 1962 Lam Kinh was ranked as the national monument. In 1994, the Prime Minister issued decision 609 / TTg approving the project for restoration of Lam Kinh historical complex.
Since then to now, many parts of the complex were “in situ” conserved, against the deterioration, reconstructed and restored, gradually reconstructed the appearance of Lam Kinh in the past.
Nowadays, the Lam Kinh historical complex is planned with a total area of 200 ha, in the area of Ngoc Lac and Tho Xuan districts, more than 50km far away from Thanh Hoa city to the northwest. This is the eternal resting place of Le Loi, national hero, the Kings and Queens of Early Le dynasty, a symbol of national pride in a majestic historical period against invaders and building of the Dai Viet state.
Hoàng Thị Vân
Reference: Lam Kinh historical complex, p. 27-34.