Ho Quyen is knows as arena for fights between tigers and elephants which located at Truong Da hamlet, Thuy Bieu ward, Hue city. Ho Quyen is not only a special and distinctive historical relic in Vietnam but also it is the only arena that remains in South East Asia.
In the time of the Nguyen kings’ reigns, the fight was organized more frequently as a big festival for the court as well as for the people. However, in the early period when a proper arena had not been built to ensure the necessary safety, unexpected mishaps usually took place. Therefore, Minh Mang king had a solid arena built for more secure fights at Long Tho, Nguyet Bieu village (now Truong Da hamlet, Thuy Bieu ward, Hue city). Such time, as recorded by the book “Dai Nam thuc luc”, coincided with the date inscripted on the bluestone board attached to the wall of the arena which reads: “Built on an auspicious day in January, the 11th year of King Minh Mang’s reign”. Such date conincides with 25 Jan-22 Feb, the Year of the Tiger (1830).
This is an open-air arena built in the annular shape; its structure is simple but very substantial. The main construction material for it is big-sized bricks, compacted earth, stone, and plaster of lime mixed with molasses. As just described, Ho Quyen arena is designed with two concentric circular walls. The inner wall is 5.90m high, the outer is 4.75m high (including the parapets on top). The outer wall is inclined at an angle of 10-15 degrees, similar to the foot of a dike, to give more strength to the work. The circumference of the outer wall is 145m, and of the inner wall is 44m.
The stand where the king’s seat is laid for him during the fight is located in the north. It is built higher than the other locations, with an open and spacious view. On the left of the stand there is a 24-step staircase reserved for the king, the royal family, and high-ranking mandarins; on both sides there are parapets built of ornate hollowed-out tiles. On the right of the stand is another similar staircase reserved for officials and soldiers. Across this stand on the opposite side there are five cells for tigers located right inside the two walls.
The walls of Ho Quyen form part of the cells, and partitions of bricks are built in between them to make 5 cells. Inside each cell there is a trough for water and foods for the animals. The gate of the cells has stone frames with a wooden shutter which can be drawn up or released to go down with strings. Elephants are kept outside the arena but tigers are kept right inside since it is dangerous to move the ferocious animals about in the village.
The deadly fights between elephants and tigers took place once a year; however, it might take longer than that, two or three years, for such fights to be held, depending upon a king’s preference. The Nguyen kings were the organizers, the conducters, as well as spectators who would not stop giving their cheers until the elephants finished killing the tigers. The fights were not only normal entertainments; they were also meant as training lessons to the elephants, encourage warrior spirit, as well as develop better skills in martial arts among the army. The Nguyen Lords and the Nguyen kings regarded the elephants as symbol for the royal power which should always be on the winning side; As a result, in such a fight between elephants and tigers, the organizer always tried by all means to ensure the elephants were the winners. The last fight at Ho Quyen was organized in 1904, in the time of King Thanh Thai’s reign.
In the course of a long period of time the arena Ho Quyen underwent bad damages. As such, for the last several years, the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre carried out projects for the restoration regarding different parts of the arena, from its annular walls, the grand stand, staircases, the gate..