Unique story of Imperial City night
Thang Long Imperial Citadel is a world cultural heritage in the heart of Hanoi. The heritage site has a history of more than 1,300 years with unique relics and artifacts, proving the heroic history of Thang Long - Hanoi and the Vietnamese people. However, as the regrets in the poem of Ba Huyen Thanh Quanh, after many ups and downs, the majestic and splendid palaces of the ancient royal palace almost no longer exist, only archaeological traces remain underground. Therefore, to introduce and tell fascinating stories about an imperial citadel that once existed in history is a difficult problem.
“Necessity is the mother of invention”, in the trend of implementing the policy of developing the night economy of Hanoi city and aiming to promote demand and restore tourism in the capital, the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center has researched and innovated to launch the night tour “Decoding Thang Long Imperial Citadel”. Many tourists have probably visited the Imperial Citadel during the day. But experiencing the Imperial Citadel at night is a very different and new feeling. The relics and artifacts that seem very familiar to tourists suddenly appear more magical and attractive.
One weekend night in April 2022, after a year of interruption due to the pandemic, Thang Long Imperial Citadel officially reopened to welcome visitors to experience the heritage site at night with a tour called "Decoding Thang Long Imperial Citadel", helping visitors not only enjoy the unique beauty of the Imperial Citadel but also feel the cultural depth with echoes from thousands of years echoing back in a journey of discovery about 1.5 hours long, starting from Doan Mon, ending at the archaeological site at 18 Hoang Dieu with many interesting experiences.
The historical process of Thang Long Imperial Citadel spanning from the 7th to the 19th century, throughout the Dai La, Ly, Tran, Mac, Le and Nguyen dynasties, has gradually recreated the tour guide's explanation.
Following the tour guide, stepping through the gate of the heritage site, many people were amazed by the magical beauty of the Doan Mon area, dyed by a series of yellow lights, in harmony with the colors of the relic. A part of the historical process of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, spanning from the 7th to the 19th century, throughout the dynasties of Dai La, Ly, Tran, Mac, Le and Nguyen, was gradually recreated in the tour guide's explanation.
Doan Mon is the last gate leading into the ancient Thang Long Forbidden City, where the King lived and worked, along with the royal road paved with lemon-flower tiles from the Tran Dynasty that was discovered during the archaeological excavation. From Doan Mon, visitors can step onto a glass stage on the royal road to enjoy ancient dances of the ancient royal palace. Through the glass are artifacts discovered in the archaeological pit, showing the rich history of the Imperial Citadel.
Many tourists are amazed by the magical beauty of the Doan Mon area.
After admiring the precious artifacts and antiques found at Thang Long Imperial Citadel in the exhibition house with the theme "Thang Long - Hanoi - A thousand years of history from the ground", visitors will be able to offer incense to commemorate the ancestors at Kinh Thien Palace - considered the acupuncture point of Thang Long Citadel, in a ritual of the ancient royal court. The ritual has created many emotions for visitors, making the night tour of Thang Long Imperial Citadel more sacred. Everyone's eyes and faces are filled with emotion, they respectfully bow before the spirits of the ancestors who have contributed to building the country.
The last stop on the night tour itinerary is the 18 Hoang Dieu Archaeological Site. Here, after many years of excavation, archaeologists have found millions of artifacts of mixed and overlapping ages, stacked on top of each other over the past 1,300 years. It is important to note that in the world, it is very rare for a capital city of a country to preserve underground a complex of relics and artifacts with a long history and culture and with cultural layers stacked and connected in a fairly continuous manner. This is a prominent feature, contributing to the great value and uniqueness of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel relic site.
The tour ends with the game “Decoding the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long” for all visitors. This is an interesting challenge, not only helping visitors have a relaxing time but also a way for visitors to review the information they have acquired during the tour, challenging each person’s memory...
Visitors have the opportunity to admire ancient costumes and take photos with ancient "guards" and "palace maids".
An exciting night tour not to be missed
Joining the night tour “Decoding the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long” with his family, 15-year-old TD said he is a 9th grader at Ly Thai To High School, Hanoi. “At school, our teachers taught us about the Ly Dynasty and King Ly Thai To - the emperor who founded the Ly Dynasty in Vietnamese history, the king who made the wise decision to move the capital from Hoa Lu to Dai La citadel in July 1010 and this citadel was renamed Thang Long, opening the way for the long-term development of the country. Joining the tour, I learned a lot about the Ly Dynasty as well as historical stories associated with the ancient Thang Long citadel and I feel more proud of the school I am attending which is named after a king in the history of the nation,” TD said.
For many young people of the same generation as TD, there are many reasons not to miss the night tour "Decoding Thang Long Imperial Citadel" such as experiencing the UNESCO-listed World Cultural Heritage site of Thang Long Imperial Citadel; taking photos with "guards" and "palace maidens" in ancient costumes; having the opportunity to personally draw water from the king's well, symbolizing sacredness and blessings; participating in the game "Decoding Thang Long Imperial Citadel" with attractive and meaningful gifts...
It can be said that when a tour not only attracts the elderly who are considered nostalgic, but also attracts many young people, it means that the tour has been successful in terms of both concept and organization. It is known that Hanoitourist Travel Company and the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center are the units that initiated the Thang Long Imperial Citadel night tour, with the desire to build a truly different night experience tour to stimulate the curiosity and excitement of tourists and further, that is, to contribute to kindling and preserving the love of national history in Vietnamese people.
Talking to the media, Mr. Phung Quang Thang - Director of Hanoitourist Travel Company said that based on the analysis of the psychology of tourists at the present time, focusing on domestic tourists, the tour provides information with a reasonable duration but logical, with stories to stimulate curiosity, attracting tourists to come back many times to learn. Each time, visitors can learn a little and ensure that there is a unique attraction, not making visitors feel bored. Therefore, Hanoitourist and the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center do not choose many destinations but only choose special places, explain typical artifacts, create more experiences for visitors that the daytime tour does not have. For example, ancient dance performances, decoding typical artifacts of Thang Long Imperial Citadel... are only available on the night tour.
Hanoi tourism is lacking night tourism products, so the city has been advocating the development of the night economy as well as aiming to promote demand and restore tourism in the capital in the "new normal" after the pandemic. In that context, it can be said that the tour "Decoding Thang Long Imperial Citadel" has created a special attraction for tourists. The proof is that right during the restart period, a large number of tourists participated in the experience. With the impressions left on tourists, the organizers expect the number of visitors to increase sharply in the coming time.
Source: https://baophapluat.vn/giai-ma-hoang-thanh-thang-long-trong-dem-post446804.html
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