Vĩnh Lạc
Definition
- Proper noun:
- Yongle: The Sino-Vietnamese reading of the era name (年號) of the Ming dynasty emperor Zhu Di, who reigned from 1402 to 1424. This period is historically significant for events like the construction of the Forbidden City and the voyages of Zheng He.
- A place name: "Vĩnh Lạc" is used as the name for several communes (xã) in Vietnam, such as those in Lục Yên District (Yên Bái Province) and Rạch Giá City (Kiên Giang Province).
Usage Examples
Proper noun (Historical Era):
- Hoàng đế Minh Thành Tổ lấy niên hiệu là Vĩnh Lạc. (The Yongle Emperor took "Vĩnh Lạc" as his era name.)
- Bộ "Vĩnh Lạc đại điển" được biên soạn dưới thời Vĩnh Lạc. (The "Yongle Encyclopedia" was compiled during the Yongle era.)
Proper noun (Place Name):
- Gia đình tôi sống ở xã Vĩnh Lạc, huyện Lục Yên. (My family lives in Vĩnh Lạc commune, Lục Yên district.)
- Chợ Vĩnh Lạc ở Kiên Giang rất nhộn nhịp. (Vĩnh Lạc market in Kiên Giang is very bustling.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is primarily used in historical and geographical contexts. In modern Vietnamese, its use is almost exclusively as a proper noun for places or historical reference.
Variants and Related Words
- Vĩnh Lạc đại điển: The Yongle Encyclopedia, a massive Chinese encyclopedia commissioned by the Yongle Emperor.
- Minh Thành Tổ: The temple name of the Yongle Emperor.
Synonyms
- Yongle: The standard English transliteration for the era name "永樂".
- Zhu Di: The personal name of the Yongle Emperor.
Notes on Meaning
- It is crucial to distinguish between the historical era name and the modern geographical names in Vietnam. The meaning is entirely dependent on context.
- As a Sino-Vietnamese word, "Vĩnh Lạc" (永樂) literally translates to "eternal happiness" or "perpetual joy," reflecting the auspicious nature of traditional era names.