A host of treasures hidden underneath and left on the ground over 1,300
years has earned the core of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel UNESCO
recognition as a world cultural heritage site.
The site encompasses the No. 18 Hoang Dieu archaeological site and the
central axis of the Hanoi ancient citadel which are nestled in the
Forbidden Area in the heart of Thang Long Imperial Citadel.
The area was the centre of the Dai La citadel under the Chinese Tang domination (7 th -8 th century).
It
was called the Dai La citadel under the Dinh-Le dynasties (10 th
century), Thang Long, Dong Do, and Dong Kinh under the Ly dynasties
(1009-1226), the Tran dynasty (1226-1400), the Early Le dynasty
(1428-1527), the Mac dynasty (1527-1592), and Le Trung Hung (1593-1789)
before becoming the Hanoi citadel under the Nguyen dynasty (19 th
century).
At the No. 18 Hoang Dieu archaeological site,
scientists found imprints typical of the Ly, Tran and Le dynasties that
revealed much about the origin of Thang Long Imperial Citadel more than
1,300 years ago.
Lying adjacent to Kinh Thien Palace to
the west, the No. 18 Hoang Dieu archeological site is a component of the
Forbidden Area from the Ly dynasty to the end of the Le Trung Hung era.
Covering
a land area of 47,700 sq. m, the site is enclosed by Hoang Van Thu road
to the north, Bac Son road to the south, Hoang Dieu road to the east
and Doc Lap road to the west.
From December 2002 to March 2004,
archaeologists excavated numerous artefacts on 19,000 sq. m of the site,
exposing layers of cultures of different dynasties which reigned in
Vietnam and proving that Thang Long Imperial City played a
key role as a political centre throughout 1,300 years.
Architectural
vestiges of palaces, pavilions, and the foundations of architectural
structures of the Imperial Citadel have also been revealed.
At
the site, scientists found a cluster of architectural structures built
on land areas in rectangular and polygonal shapes, which were arranged
in line with a city’s standards.
They unearthed a great deal of
decorative objects placed on the roofing of architectural structures to
provide proof of the ancient Vietnamese people’s artistic skills in
constructing big and magnificent works.
Those decorative objects
included an earthen phoenix head dating from the 11 th -12 th century,
an earthen dragon head from the 12 th century, earthen tube roof tiles
with Bodhi tree leaf and dragon decoration dated from the 12 th
century.
Of them, with the majority made for the King, were
transparent ceramic bowls decorated with a five-toe dragon image dated
to the 15 th century, and decorative glazed terracotta pots made in the
10 th century.
At the 18 Hoang Dieu site, archaeologists
unearthed many precious ceramic and glazed terracotta items,
architectural materials, jewellery, weapons, and metal artefacts, of
which many were personal objects of the kings and the royal families.
They
also found a cannon weighing 100kg with a length of 1.2 m. It was
carved with the words, “Tu dai sung nhat hieu” (literally translated as
“The first cannon among four big cannons”).
A system of ancient
wells was exposed, including two believed to exist in the Dai La era,
two built under the Ly dynasty, two under the Tran dynasty, and six
under the Le dynasty. These wells have similar shape and size as those
found in the forbidden citadels in Japan , China and the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea .
The No. 18 Hoang Dieu
archaeological site has supplied clear evidence of the site’s important
role throughout the nation’s history, at least nearly 1,000 years, from
1010 to 1789.
Situated to the east of the 18 Hoang Dieu
archaeological site is Hanoi ’s ancient citadel area - the remainder
of the central axis of the Vauban building.
The Vauban-styled
building was built in the heart of the old Thang Long Citadel by King
Gia Long in 1803. The building, with a perimeter of 4km, served as the
headquarters of the Bac Thanh and the stop-over palace for the King
during his visits to the north.
At present, there sit the
surrounding walls of the stop-over palace which were built under the
Nguyen dynasty in the 19 th century.
In the centre of the
ancient citadel lies the foundation of Kinh Thien palace which was
constructed under the Early Le dynasty (1428).
Other construction
works which still remain in the Hanoi ancient citadel were mostly
built from the 19 th century afterwards.
Walls and almost all
gates of the Hanoi ancient citadel were built by the Nguyen dynasty
in early 19 th century when Thang Long was the headquarters of the Bac
Thanh and the King’s stop-over palace.
Many buildings inside the citadel were constructed by the French colonists during the 1880’s after they occupied Hanoi .
There are also some important buildings built after 1954, which served as the headquarters of the Defence Ministry until 2004.
The most important existing remains of the Kinh Thien Palace
are its foundations and the stone steps with a handrail carved in the
shape of a dragon, called the dragon's entrance.
The foundations
are believed to have been built in 1428 and are seen as a Vietnamese
architectural masterpiece. The palace was situated at the centre of the
Imperial Citadel and the two dragons were carved from solid blocks of
stone during the Early Le dynasty in the late 16th and early 17th
centuries.
Doan Mon, the southern gate, was the main entrance to
Cam Thanh (the Forbidden Area). The gate was built by the Early Le
dynasty in the 15 th century and was later upgraded in the 19 th
century.
The U-shaped gate was built of brick and stones and
measured 46.5m by 26.5m by 6m and covers 3.970 m2. The Doan Mon Gate had
five domed doors. The largest one in the middle was for the King,
flanked by two smaller ones, one for mandarins and the other for members
of the royal family.
The Ky Dai, flag tower, was built in 1805, the same time as the Vauban-styled citadel.
It
was built on the former foundations of the Tam Mon, the outer gate of
the Forbidden Citadel during the Le dynasty. It is among the last
remaining intact structures from the Nguyen dynasty.
The tower, built in brick, has a square base with three storeys on top of it, each one progressively smaller.
It
is 33.4 m high and has a 54-step spiral staircase leading from the
bottom to the top of the tower where there is a 3.1 m-high observatory
with a rectangular doorway on each side and a 40cm diameter flagpole on
the top.
The Hau Lau, Princess Pavilion, was built in 1821,
but was destroyed at the end of the 19th century. The remaining
structure was rebuilt by the French.
Bac Mon, the
northern gate, was built in 1805 and is the only remaining out of the
five gates of Hanoi citadel from the Nguyen dynasty. It is designed
in the trapezium architectural style, with each side sloped at an angle
of 15 degrees. Above the gate is a two-storey observatory tower with a
curved roof and the traditional spearhead.
The external wall was
built in 1805 running from Doan Mon (southern gate) to surround the
internal palace, where the Nguyen Kings to work and rest when they
visited the north.
At present, the eight gates of the palace
still remain and were recognised as relics in 1925. Between 1954 and
2004, the Palace served as the headquarters of the High Command of the
Vietnam People's Army.
The French-styled buildings, the D57
bunker and the offices of the Party Central Committee’s Politburo, the
Central Military Committee, General Vo Nguyen Giap and the headquarters
of the General Staff of Vietnam People’s Army are now open for visitors.
Relics
from the Thang Long royal citadel have been recognised as a world
cultural heritage by UNESCO and have brought honour and pride to every
Vietnamese citizen as part of the nation’s cultural history./.
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