The Nine Tripod Cauldrons, commissioned by King Minh Mạng in 1835 and completed in 1837, have been placed in front of the Thế Tổ Miếu courtyard since their creation until today. King Minh Mạng ordered the casting of the Nine Tripod Cauldrons to symbolize the endurance of the dynasty, its wealth and beauty, and the complete unity of Vietnam's territory. The exquisite bronze casting skills of Vietnamese artisans, with 162 engraved motifs depicting various themes on the Cauldrons, along with many profound underlying values, have elevated the Nine Tripod Cauldrons beyond the national level.
This is a unique and precious source of documentation that Vietnamese and foreign researchers are deeply interested in because of its content value regarding history, culture and education, geography, feng shui, traditional medicine, and calligraphy art. Particularly notable is the elevation of women's status under the feudal system, exemplified by the depiction of the Vĩnh Tế Canal on the Cauldrons. Mr. Nguyễn Văn Thoại, while serving as the Trấn thủ Vĩnh Thanh, directly commanded the excavation of the Vĩnh Tế Canal (also known as Vĩnh Tế hà), which stretched over 87km and took more than 5 years to complete (from 1819 to 1825), marking a significant milestone in the history of transportation, commerce, border defense, and water control in the Southern region. During the challenging excavation period, Mrs. Châu Thị Vĩnh Tế (originating from Vĩnh Long, the wife of Thoại Ngọc Hầu) faithfully assisted her husband in managing the project. When her husband was occupied with official duties, she took on the responsibility of supervising the canal excavation. Impressed by her tireless efforts, after the completion of the project, King Minh Mạng named the canal after her, calling it the Vĩnh Tế Canal.
All nine cauldrons share a similar shape: round body, narrow neck, flared mouth with two handles, and three legs underneath. On the neck of each cauldron, the right side is inscribed with the casting year, "Minh Mạng thập lục niên Ất Mùi" (1835), while the left side records the varying weights of each cauldron, ranging from 3,201 taels to 4,307 taels. After 200 years and enduring numerous brutal wars, the Nine Tripod Cauldrons remain intact as they were originally, without any alterations, even to the smallest detail. Therefore, they hold unparalleled historical and cultural significance. In 2012, the Nine Tripod Cauldrons were recognized as National Treasures.
UNESCO has awarded certification to honor "The Nine Tripod Cauldrons - Huế Imperial Citadel" into the World Documentary Heritage list.
The prominent engravings on the nine bronze cauldrons store values about the cultural exchanges and interactions of Vietnam with neighboring countries in East Asia. They have endured alongside the vicissitudes of a dynasty, remaining intact after nearly 200 years despite the upheavals of time and history. These rare artifacts symbolize royal authority and the existence of feudal dynasties in East Asian countries.
The recognition of "The Nine Tripod Cauldrons - Huế Imperial Citadel" is a source of pride for Vietnam in general and Thừa Thiên Huế province in particular. It enhances Huế's heritage brand, making it a destination with eight UNESCO heritages. This recognition also serves as a foundation and gift to affirm the goal of elevating Thừa Thiên Huế to a centrally-run city based on its cultural identity.
As of now, Thừa Thiên Huế is the only province in the country possessing six world heritages, including: the World Cultural Heritage Site - Complex of Huế Monuments (1993), the Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative of Humanity - Huế Court Music (2003), and four Documentary Heritage Sites under the World Memory Program: Nguyễn Dynasty Woodblocks (2009), Nguyễn Dynasty Administrative Documents (2014), Poetry on Huế Court Architecture (2016), and The Nine Tripod Cauldrons (2024). Additionally, it co-owns two more intangible cultural heritages representative of humanity: Central Vietnam's Bài Chòi Art and the Mother Worship.