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Ho Dynasty Citadel is located in Vinh Loc district (province). Thanh Hoa), is a majestic, unique, one-of-a-kind stone citadel architecture of the East Asia and Southeast Asia region in the late 6th and early 2011th centuries. With its outstanding and distinct values, in June XNUMX, UNESCO recognized the Ho Dynasty Citadel as a World Cultural Heritage. world.
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Ho Dynasty Citadel - World cultural heritage |
Great work of East Asia
According to historical records, the Ho Dynasty Citadel was built in just 3 months (from January to March) in 1397.
The Ho Dynasty Citadel is 155,5 hectares wide, including the Inner Citadel (142,2 hectares wide), La Thanh (9,0 hectares) and Nam Giao Altar (4,3 hectares), located in the buffer zone with an area of 5.078,5 hectares. The citadel was built in an area with beautiful natural landscape, between the Ma and Buoi rivers (in Vinh Loc district).
The architecture of the Ho Dynasty Citadel is divided into 2 main citadel rings. These are La Thanh and Imperial Citadel. The wall is on average 8m high, composed of two layers: the outer layer is stone, the inner layer is soil.
La Thanh is the outer citadel protecting all architecture and residents in the Imperial City, built by Ho Quy Ly in September 9, about 1399km long. La Thanh is about 10-2km from the Imperial Citadel in all directions.
The limit from the stone wall area inwards is the Imperial Citadel area. This is where mandarins and royal families in the royal court live and work.
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Hoe Nhai road - Royal road connecting the Imperial Citadel to Nam Giao Altar |
The Imperial Citadel area has a nearly square plan, the main side facing Southeast, with each wall nearly 900m long. In the Imperial Citadel, there are Nhan Tho Palace (where Ho Quy Ly lived), Hoang Nguyen Palace (where the King held court), Phu Cuc Palace, Dong Thai Mieu, Tay Thai Mieu...
The inner citadel has 4 gates: East, West, South, North. The South Gate is the largest built, with three arches opening, the remaining doors only have 1 arch. Above the South and North doors is a gazebo. The gazebo, in addition to its function as a watchtower, is also the place where the King reviews his troops before going to war and presides over other important ceremonies.
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Huge blocks of stone were carved into squares and stacked on top of each other to create a sturdy wall |
Scientists assess that the outstanding and distinctive value of the Ho Dynasty Citadel is the demonstration of the ability to arrange giant blocks of stone, square-cut with absolute precision, to build a fortress. The great development of East Asia and Southeast Asia in the late XNUMXth and early XNUMXth centuries.
Outstanding global values
The Ho Dynasty Citadel Heritage was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage according to criteria (ii) and (iv) of Cultural Heritage.
The Citadel of the Ho Dynasty demonstrates the influence of Chinese Confucianism on a central symbol of kingship in the late XNUMXth and early XNUMXth centuries. Thanh demonstrates new developments in architectural style in terms of engineering and the adoption of feng shui principles of urban planning in an East Asian and Southeast Asian context, taking full advantage of natural conditions. surrounding nature and uniquely combining elements into the citadel's construction and landscape.
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The stone blocks are meticulously, precisely carved and delicately assembled to create a rare and beautiful city gate |
The Ho Dynasty Citadel is an outstanding example of an architectural complex in a natural landscape that testifies to the flourishing development of Neo-Confucianism practiced in late XNUMXth century Vietnam, in a period when this ideology was spread throughout East Asia and became an influential philosophy for governance in the region.
The use of large stone blocks demonstrates the organizational power of a Neo-Confucian State and the change in the main axis direction makes the design of the Ho Dynasty Citadel different from Chinese standards.
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Tourists visit the Ho Dynasty Citadel |
Gradually revealing the shape of the golden capital
Each archaeological excavation in the Ho Dynasty Citadel area reveals many artifacts, architecture... Through that, gradually revealing the shape of a golden capital, a unique citadel.
During the 2008 excavation at the South Citadel gate area of the Ho Dynasty, traces of Hoe Nhai road were discovered, which UNESCO calls the Royal road. This road was built by the Ho Dynasty in 1402, connecting from the Imperial Citadel area to the Nam Giao Altar, with a length of about 3,5km. This is considered to be the most intact ancient paved road in the feudal capital today.
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Artifacts excavated in the Ho Dynasty Citadel |
In 2011, through excavations at the South Gate of Ho Dynasty Citadel, scientists discovered a structure. military Built around the 16th century, it is a horseshoe-shaped stone rampart. This is the first defensive rampart at the city gate discovered in Vietnam.
2,5km south of the Ho Dynasty's Nam Citadel gate is the Nam Giao Altar. The Nam Giao Citadel of the Ho Dynasty is a relatively intact and oldest relic in the history of the Vietnamese Giao altar. This is also an architectural work that has both common characteristics of the Eastern Giao altar and unique characteristics of Vietnam.
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The terracotta phoenix head was excavated in the Ho Dynasty Citadel |
In addition, through archaeological excavations, scientists also discovered relatively intact architectural foundations in the Main Hall area, Eastern Thai Mieu, Western Thai Mieu... In addition, information was obtained. Many artifacts such as: Phoenix head, terracotta lovebirds; bricks and leaf decorations during the Tran - Ho dynasties; flat tiles, curved tiles of the Le Dynasty; pottery and enamel of the Tran - Ho and Early Le dynasties; Some ball and stone clusters...
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Through excavations, a golden capital and unique citadel have gradually been revealed |
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Tong Trung Tin, former Director of the Institute of Archeology, Chairman of the Vietnam Archaeological Association: "The Ho Dynasty Citadel still has many hidden architectural relics. Everything is planned and arranged in a very standard, synchronous, harmonious, and methodical manner... If done well and scientifically, we can gradually understand and restore the oldest capital in Southeast Asia. , gradually turning the heritage into one of Vietnam's most outstanding cultural heritages, with a strong attraction to the domestic and world public.
