Year of the Horse: The Horse Statues of the Emperors’ Tombs in Huế
In the solemn silence of Huế’s royal tombs, where the Nguyễn emperors rest in eternal slumber, a curious procession stands guard. Rows of mandarins in stone—civil and military officials—flank the courtyards, accompanied by elephants and horses. But look closer at the horses, and you’ll notice something remarkable: they are not all the same. Some are robust and powerful, others slender and refined. One is so small and stocky it resembles a donkey, while another stands tall and gaunt in early concrete.
These stone and cement steeds are more than mere decoration. They are a fascinating reflection of Vietnam’s history, the personalities of the emperors they serve, and even the changing fortunes of an empire. As we ride through the Year of the Horse, there is no better time to contemplate these silent guardians and the stories they carry.
The Celestial Courtyard: Where Heaven and Earth Meet
Every Nguyễn royal tomb is a miniature universe, designed as a perfect replica of the palace compound where the emperor once lived. The Bái đình (Worship Court) is its ceremonial heart—a space where the successor emperor and his court would gather to pay respects on death anniversaries and ritual occasions. Here, in strict hierarchical order, stand rows of attendants: civil mandarins on one side, military mandarins on the other, then elephants and horses, and finally the guardian soldiers.
The horses always stand in the third row, positioned between the high-ranking officials and the common soldiers. They are not merely decorative; they represent the emperor’s mobility, his military might, and his royal dignity in the afterlife. But as researcher Trần Đức Anh Sơn notes in his seminal work “Huế Triều Nguyễn Một Cái Nhìn” (Huế: A View of the Nguyễn Dynasty), these equine statues reveal far more than their intended symbolism.
The Six Tombs, The Six Horses
Of the seven main Nguyễn royal tombs, six contain horse statues—only the tomb of Dục Đức stands without them. Each set of statues reflects not only the artistic conventions of its time but the character of the emperor who lies nearby.
Emperor Gia Long
Reigned: 1802–1820
Tomb location: Định Môn, Kim Long
Carved from blue-gray stone (đá thanh), these are unmistakably warhorses—muscular, alert, ready for battle. They reflect the founder of the dynasty, the general who united Vietnam through decades of warfare. The tomb itself is unique: a double grave where Gia Long rests beside his first wife, Empress Thừa Thiên.
Emperor Minh Mạng
Reigned: 1820–1841
Tomb location: Kim Long
These are not battle-hardened chargers but prosperous, well-fed creatures. They reflect an era of consolidation and stability, when the great administrator-emperor built bureaucracy, expanded territory, and rejected French overtures. The horses mirror the reign: substantial, self-assured, and peaceful.
Emperor Thiệu Trị
Reigned: 1841–1847
Tomb location: Thủy Xuân
Researcher Trần Đức Anh Sơn calls these “horses truly worthy of an emperor—graceful in form, exquisitely carved, and perfectly balanced.” Neither as muscular as Gia Long’s nor as plump as Minh Mạng’s, they achieve classical harmony, reflecting a poet-emperor who valued beauty and refinement.
Emperor Tự Đức
Reigned: 1847–1883
Tomb location: Dương Xuân Thượng
The most intriguing statues. Cast in a traditional mixture of lime and dầu ô dước (a waterproofing oil), these stocky, humble creatures look more like donkeys than horses. Perhaps they reflect the scholarly emperor’s modesty, his preference for contemplation over conquest—a reminder that even emperors can choose substance over show.
Emperor Đồng Khánh
Reigned: 1885–1889
Tomb location: Thủy Xuân
Cast in early cement—a modern material for its time—these horses appear elongated and somewhat emaciated. They reflect an era of transition, when French colonial influence was strong and the dynasty itself seemed stretched thin, still standing but somehow diminished.
Emperor Khải Định
Reigned: 1916–1925
Tomb location: Châu Chữ, Thủy Xuân
The final flowering of the tradition. Stone horses at this spectacular tomb—with its fusion of Vietnamese and European styles—are exquisitely detailed, every strap and pattern rendered with precision. They share space with dragons, phoenixes, and the mythical long mã (dragon-horse).
The Long Mã: When Horses Become Dragons
Beyond the tombs, another equine figure appears throughout Huế: the long mã (dragon-horse). Part dragon, part horse, it embodies the wisdom and longevity of the celestial dragon combined with the strength and nobility of the earthly horse. It guards screens and gateways throughout the ancient capital, most notably at the former Cơ Mật Viện (Privy Council), where it wards off negative energies and announces auspicious tidings.
The long mã was chosen as the official logo for the very first Huế Festival in 2000 and has remained a symbol of the city’s cultural identity ever since. It represents everything Huế aspires to be: wise, noble, and blessed with good fortune.
The Viện Thượng Tứ: Where Royal Horses Were Trained
To understand these stone horses, one must also understand the real animals that inspired them. In 1826, Emperor Minh Mạng established the Viện Thượng Tứ (Royal Horse Administration) within the Citadel. This institution maintained four categories of equines:
- Ngự Mã: The emperor’s personal mounts, the most prestigious and carefully trained
- Lộ Mã: Carriage horses, strong and steady
- Nghi Mã: Ceremonial horses, decorated for ritual occasions
- Sai Mã: Working horses, used for general duties
Timeline of the Horse in Huế
An Invitation to Contemplation
For visitors to Huế today, these horses offer an unexpected lens through which to view Vietnamese history. They invite us to slow down, to look closely, to wonder why one emperor’s horse is fat and another’s thin. They remind us that history is not a collection of dry dates and facts but a gallery of personalities, each with their own preferences, their own circumstances, their own unique way of facing eternity.
The six tombs with horse statues are: Gia Long (1814-1820), Minh Mạng (1841-1843), Thiệu Trị (1847-1848), Tự Đức (1864-1867), Đồng Khánh (1888-1889), and Khải Định (1920-1931). Each offers not only architectural splendors but this fascinating equine gallery, inviting contemplation on the relationship between rulers and the symbols they chose for eternity.