HÀ NÔI - During the second phase of the archaeological excavation of Bân Mountain, experts have published data on the scale and structure of the Heaven-worshipping platform of the Tây Sơn dynasty (1778-1802).

Bân Mountain, located in An Tây ward of Huế City, is a rare vestige of the Tây Sơn dynasty. It was designated a National Historic Site in 1988.

This excavation has revealed more about the size and original structure of the platform on Bân Mountain. These significant relics serve as the foundation for the province to pursue Mount Bân's designation as a Special National Historical Heritage.

The platform was built to form three floors in accordance with the three-element philosophy, representing heaven, earth and humans.

The statue of King Quang Trung on Bân Mountain. Photo edsvn

The results of the excavation have helped to determine this as the location where a leader of the peasant uprising, Nguyễn Huệ, was crowned to be King Quang Trung, This is also where the determination to drive away 29,000 Chinese Qing invaders began, resulting in the resounding victory for Việt nam in the spring of 1789.

The archaeologists believe the platform was built during the Tây Sơn period. It used the natural rocky terrain, where it was carved out of the rock, and then erected. This symbolises the importance of completing the platform and advancing to the throne.

In terms of construction methods, the excavation team found that Bân Mountain itself was dug into, creating three separate floors.

Because the construction site was uneven, it had been levelled with laterite soil, pure yellow clay, or a mixture of small pebbles and crushed stone to create a flat surface.

Traces of bricks at the worshipping platform. Photo Department of Culture and Information

Architects of this period had a keen sense of planning, adding harmony, balance, and philosophy to their work. It is possible to perceive the distinction, and uniqueness of the structure. 

There are also traces of foundations, stone embankments, and walls. The assessment of the bricks recovered, in particular, has determined the structure is from the 18th-century.

The size and colour of the bricks here are identical to those found in the architectural foundation bricks of the Nguyễn Lords' temples and palaces, demonstrating the validity of the heaven worshipping platform built at Bân Mountain. - VNS