From the center of Thanh Hoa city, going west to Vinh Loc land about 70km, we can easily see a majestic citadel built with huge stone blocks more than 600 years ago.
According to historical books, in January 1397, Ho Quy Ly sent the Minister of Personnel and Grand Historian Do Tinh to examine and measure An Ton cave (today's Ho citadel) to build a citadel, dig a moat, establish an ancestral temple, open streets, and erect an altar to worship the Gods and the Gods, with the intention of moving the capital there.
World Heritage Ho Dynasty Citadel
Although he existed for a short period of only 7 years, Ho Quy Ly managed to build the citadel in just 3 months (from January 1397 to the end of March of that year) and left behind a unique architectural work, an outstanding symbol of ancient stone citadel construction.
The Ho Dynasty Citadel was built on an area of 155 hectares (core area), while the citadel relic complex covers an area of 5,000 hectares. The citadel consists of 3 parts: La Thanh, Hao Thanh and Hoang Thanh, the outside is built of stone, the inside is mainly made of earth.
The citadel was built on a nearly square architectural plan, the North - South length is 870.5m; the East - West length is 883.5m; the average height is 7 - 8m, in some places the south gate is higher than 10m. The four gates are built in the 4 directions of South - North - East - West. The gate architecture is designed in the form of an arch, the stone slabs on the arch are carved in the shape of grapefruit segments, arranged closely together.
Every year, Ho Dynasty Citadel welcomes millions of visitors.
Inside the Ho Dynasty Citadel, people still farm normally, creating a peaceful scene.
The inner city is a vast rice field.
The entire wall and 4 main gates were built with stone slabs about 1.5m long, some 6m long, each block weighing on average 10 - 20 tons, the western wall in particular has a giant stone block weighing 26.7 tons, with a total volume of about 25,000m3 of stone and nearly 100,000m3 of soil that was elaborately dug and built.
After more than 600 years, the wall system is still almost intact, the stone slabs weighing tens of tons are just stacked on top of each other, without any adhesive. What makes researchers have a headache is that this great work was completed in only 3 months of both design and construction, demonstrating the unique construction level, talented hands, and wonderful creative labor of the "artisans" of that time.
The giant stone wall
Peaceful life in the inner city
Many tourists come to explore the Ho Dynasty Citadel
Mr. Trinh Huu Anh - Deputy Director of the Center for Conservation of World Cultural Heritage of Ho Dynasty Citadel said that to serve people during the Lunar New Year of Giap Thin, the unit has built and planned to prepare cultural spaces and special art programs.
Specifically: Spring Flower Festival of the ancient capital , participating in the golden bell ringing and immersing in the Thuong Neu festival, releasing Ong Cong fish in the Royal Palace; Space displaying artifacts with the theme of Tay Do Land and People ; recreating the space of the old Tet, organizing the program of giving calligraphy at the beginning of spring, displaying photos with the theme of Heritage Road and performing cultural and artistic works of Tay Do region...
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