Introduce

Gia Long (1802 – 1820), given name Nguyen Phuc Anh, posthumously honored as Nguyen The To (Progenitor Nguyen), took the era name Gia Long when he was enthroned in 1802 after years of fighting to reunite Vietnam.
For nearly 25 years from 1775-1802, he persevered through immense hardships to defeat the Tay Son dynasty and reunify the nation after centuries of division since the Trinh-Nguyen civil war (1533-1802).
Admired for his frugality and filial piety, Gia Long wisely employed talented individuals to rebuild from the ashes of war. His inauguration in 1806 at the Thai Hoa Palace marked the start of the powerful centralized Nguyen Dynasty that ruled a reunified Vietnam for over 60 years until its fall in 1888.
The Complete Annals from Gia Long’s reign provide a historical record of his remarkable life’s journey to reunite Vietnam after centuries of turmoil.

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Gia Long (1802-1820), real name Nguyen Phuc Anh, commonly known as Nguyen Anh, was a Vietnamese politician and military leader, the founder of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last monarchy in Vietnamese history. He was crowned in the 5th year of Gia Long (1806) at Thai Hoa Palace. He reigned from 1802 until his death in 1820, and was posthumously given the temple name Nguyen The To. During his reign, he only used one reign name, Gia Long, so he was often called Gia Long De.

 

Wine jar.
Produced by Bat Trang ceramic kilns, Hanoi, Vietnam during the 18th-19th centuries.

Pen case.
Material: Tortoiseshell

Ruyi Scepter
Material: Tortoiseshell

Genealogy Book
The genealogy book of Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat (1714-1765) titled “Hoang Trieu Ngoc Pho” on Long Dang paper, handwritten in the 22nd year of Canh Hung (1761- Later Le) records the origin of the Nguyen family. Records begin from the Dinh dynasty, from Nguyen Bac – titled “Dinh Quoc Cong” – a founder of the Dinh dynasty (924-979) to the reign of Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat (1714-1765).

Trong 25 năm trời, đánh nhau với Tây Sơn, trải qua bao nhiêu lần hoạn nạn, không bao giờ ngã lòng. Ông còn biết đến là ông vua tiết kiệm và rất có giải pháp với cha mẹ. Ngài lại có cái đức tính rất tốt của những kẻ lập nghiệp lớn, biết chọn người mà dùng, tạo cho những kẻ hào kiệt ai cũng háo hức mà theo giúp đỡ. Vì vậy, đừng nên khôi phục lại sự nghiệp cũ mà thống nhất lại được sơn hà. Làm cho nước Việt Nam lúc bấy giờ thành một nước cường đại trong khu vực. Nguyễn Ánh là vị vua có công khi thống nhất Việt Nam sau gần 300 năm chia cắt và chiến tranh kể từ thời Nam Bắc triều tới hết thời Tây Sơn (1533-1802).

Gia Long dynasty plate.
The bottom has the words “Giap Ty nien che” painted in 1804.

European porcelain set imported during the reign of Emperor Gia Long (1802-1820)
“Porcelain plate” A gift from the Portuguese diplomatic mission to King Gia Long during his visit to Vietnam.

It says on the back of the plate:

The Portuguese inscription at the top, roughly translated “Gift from the Portuguese embassy to the Emperor of An Nam (Emperor Gia Long 1802 – 1820).”
Inscription below: written in Chinese characters – two characters, roughly translated “longevity” (long life) around 1805.

“Dai Nam Thuc Luc” (Institute of History) – volume 28.
“Dai Nam Thuc Luc” (Institute of History) – volume 29.