More than 40 artifacts relating to Emperor Gia Long of the Nguyen Dynasty are on display at the Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities. 

Gia Long was the first emperor (reigning 1802- 1820) of the Nguyen Dynasty, Vietnam’s last royal family (1802-1945).

The exhibition is organized at the museum in the Hue Citadel in the central town of Hue on occassion of the king's 200th death anniversary, and will last until the end of August.

The musket that Gia Long used.

On the stock of the musket, it says: “A property of Gia Long before he became king. Now a gift for the reign of Emperor Minh Mang and will be passed on from generations to generations.”

Minh Mang is the second emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, reining 1820-1839.

The royal seal, which is made of ceramic and coated with gold, was used by Emperor Gia Long to stamp documents and directives.

The urn used to burn agar wood with two bronze vases were a part of the Giao ritual under the Nguyen Dynasty. The Giao ritual was held to propitiate the sky, the earth and other deities. It was the most important feudal ritual that took place annually in spring.

A stone that recorded the standings of officials under Gia Long.

A cannonball used as ammunition for the canons in the Hue Citadel.

The exhibition devotes a section to different types of bricks that Gia Long chose to build the Hue Citadel and his tomb. It is said that Gia Long and his assistants designed everything themselves to build the citadel.

Gia Long's hand writing.

A record of the process of constructing the Imperial Academy in Hue. 

The academy was built in 1803, five kilometers away from the citadel. This is the first educational institution that was built by the Nguyen Dynasty. In 1908, the academy was moved inside the citadel and remains there till now.