Urn is a kind of ancient Chinese cauldrons that stand upon legs with two facing handles.

The Nine Dynastic Urns placed inside The To Temple are all cast in bronze. They date back to a three-year 1835-1837 period under the reign of King Minh Mang. Each one, about two meters tall and weighing up to 2,600 kg, commemorate an emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, which ruled from 1802 to 1945.

Over 200 years, all the Nine Urns still remain intact. The relic was not only made to glorify the Nguyen Kings, demonstrating the power of the Nguyen dynasty, but also served as a geographic encyclopedia of Vietnam early in the 19th century with over 162 carved patterns exquisitely embossed on their surface.

They were recognized as a national treasure in 2012./.

VNA