Ancient Hac Thanh - Thanh Hoa City today

Thanh Hoa City today, a land of ancient Vietnamese people dating back tens of thousands of years, has, throughout its long history, not only possessed unique culture, land, and people, but also the sacred spirit of its rivers and mountains, a convergence of excellence. These endogenous resources are the driving force behind the development of cultural tourism in this land.

Hac Thanh in the early 20th century. Photo: Archival material.

Cultural sedimentary region

Twenty-two years ago, after his first expedition to the North, King Gia Long chose a favorable location to establish the provincial capital of Thanh Hoa . He moved the Thanh Hoa citadel from Duong Xa village (Thieu Hoa, now Thieu Duong ward, Thanh Hoa city) to Tho Hac village (Dong Son district, now Thanh Hoa city), naming it Hac Thanh. From a feng shui perspective, Hac Thanh was built on auspicious land. "The Ma River to the north meanders, embracing the land. The Bo Ve River to the south, considered auspicious, is also very good. Hac Thanh is not a battlefield but a land of eternal peace. To the west are the Phuong Linh (Pine Forest - Son Vien) and An Hoach (Nhoi Mountain - Nhue Son) mountains, like a phoenix spreading its wings, like elephants and horses gathering. The citadel has four gates: the South gate is the Front Gate, with Long Mountain and Ho Mountain as its forecourt. This land is no different from 'Dragon and Tiger meeting together like companions living together.'" "The country is as solid as a stone palace, its rivers and seas never stirred by storms."

Hac Thanh is not only a relatively flat area, but more importantly, it has a "well-connected" terrain – with convenient waterways and land routes in all directions – making it ideal for building fortifications, forging fortifications, and setting up camps.

Immediately after relocating the citadel, also in 1804, King Gia Long ordered the relocation of the Le Dynasty's mausoleums from Thang Long to Thanh Hoa. Later, in 1805, he ordered the construction of a school, and in 1807, he established a provincial examination center in Tho Hac. From 1807 to 1915, the Thanh Hoa school held 31 examinations, with 439 Thanh Hoa candidates passing and earning the title of Bachelor of Arts.

The establishment of the Hac Thanh Center meant the opening of a provincial market and a cattle market to facilitate the circulation of goods. Craft guilds gathered together, creating streets such as Hang Thao, specializing in selling paper, pens, and hats for exam candidates; Hang Dong, specializing in selling bronze goods; Hang Theu, specializing in embroidered goods for officials and religious purposes; Hang Than, the street of the Chinese; and Hang Huong, where people from Nam Dinh specialized in producing black incense in Bac Bien hamlet...

The establishment of this cultural center was also due to the spirit of unity and fighting against the enemy. In the 13th century, Chu Van Luong, following the orders of King Tran, went to reclaim land and expand the country. When he arrived at the land on the banks of the Ma River, he stopped to cultivate the land, open a school, and establish the Nam Ngan camp. He also selected more than 500 strong young men from the village, as well as thousands of strong young men from all over who were skilled in river navigation and martial arts, to train here and march to Hai Duong to fight the Yuan-Mongol invaders. Legend says that after the battles, despite being rewarded by King Tran and offered an official position in the court, Chu Van Luong requested to return to Nam Ngan in Thanh Hoa province to live with the local people.

Approximately 700 years later, during the glorious resistance against foreign invaders in the 20th century, Ham Rong was a crucial transportation hub on the North-South route. It was once a "hotbed of fire," a "lifeline" of the strategic supply route to the Southern battlefield. In 1965 alone, the US imperialists attacked Thanh Hoa town and Ham Rong 73 times, dropping 1,047 bombs and firing 437 missiles and rockets, killing 93 people, injuring 119, and destroying 159 houses. Despite this, the Ham Rong bridge still stands tall and proudly across the Ma River, and the people of Thanh Hoa town continued to fight bravely and resolutely while also working hard to support the Southern battlefield.

The spirit of unity has created unparalleled strength, enabling the land of Thanh Hoa, despite suffering, to rise up resiliently, and the people of Thanh Hoa, no matter how difficult the circumstances, to strive to overcome them.

Driving force for development

I have stopped many times on the Ham Rong Bridge connecting the two banks of the Ma River. Amidst that vast space, taking a deep breath, I feel truly proud to be a citizen born on this land rich in cultural heritage, a place of heroic victories, where the army and people of Thanh Hoa united to fight against foreign invaders...

From Ham Rong Bridge, venturing deeper into the city, past the Ham Rong Historical and Cultural Relic Area, I arrived at Dong Son village and met Mr. Nguyen Van Ve, a man who understands every inch of land, every legend, and every figure in the ancient village of Dong Son. Mr. Ve explained: "Of the four alley names, 'Nhan' and 'Nghia' symbolize civil officials; 'Tri' and 'Dung' symbolize military officials. In the middle of the four alleys is Mieu Nhi alley, leading to the temple of the Second Divine Emperor Trinh The Loi (a royal guard during the Le Dynasty, who contributed to the founding of the ancient village of Dong Son), with civil and military officials standing on either side. That dragon vein, that essence, is the character and culture of our villagers."

Beyond the hustle and bustle of the city, stepping into Bo Ve village (Dong Ve ward, Thanh Hoa city) offers a peaceful space steeped in traditional culture. There lies the Royal Ancestral Temple of the Later Le Dynasty, dedicated to the worship of the emperors, empresses, empress dowagers, the founding ancestors, and other princes and high-ranking officials of the Later Le Dynasty. It is no coincidence that Emperor Gia Long ordered the construction of the Royal Ancestral Temple on the site of the former Chieu Hoa Palace, which was once the temple of Empress Dowager Nguyen Thi Anh (wife of Emperor Le Thai Tong, mother of Emperor Le Nhan Tong), now in ruins. Beyond its political significance, this location lies on the convenient North-South highway, boasting beautiful and majestic scenery. Bo Ve, along with Ve Yen, Tan Xa, and Mat Son, are long-standing agricultural villages specializing in rice cultivation, both vibrant and picturesque.

Compared to the administrative boundaries of Hac Thanh town 220 years ago, the current Thanh Hoa City has undergone significant changes in scale. This not only affirms the immense strengths and potential of a provincial capital, serving as the political, economic, cultural, and social center of Thanh Hoa province, and a crucial transportation hub for the North and the entire country, but also creates momentum for development, ushering the city into a new era with greater stature.

Recognizing the potential and strengths for Thanh Hoa City to exploit and develop tourism, on January 31, 2018, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 441 approving the Thanh Hoa City tourism development plan until 2025, with a vision to 2030. This plan focuses on developing tourism products in the following groups: cultural and spiritual tourism products; historical sightseeing and research tourism products; entertainment, weekend getaway, combined with medical treatment and healthcare, and shopping; conference and seminar tourism products (MICE tourism); and the development of new tourism products (adventure tourism; rural tourism experiences; mountain climbing and exploration tours, cave tours, hot air balloon tours, high-speed slides, etc.). The main tourism development areas include: the city center tourism area; the tourism area along the Ma River; and the Ham Rong - Nui Do tourism area. The tourist areas of Nhoi Mountain (An Hoach); Long Mountain - Mat Son Mountain: developing activities such as mountain climbing, sightseeing, and other recreational and sports activities (western slope)... along with a system of tourist areas, routes, and destinations...

In response to the need to build and develop Thanh Hoa City into a smart, civilized, and modern urban center, worthy of its role as the political, administrative, economic, cultural, scientific, educational, medical, and sports center of the province, and a driving force for development in the southern part of the Northern Delta and North Central region during the new development period of Thanh Hoa province, on October 25, 2021, the Standing Committee of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 05-NQ/TU on the construction and development of Thanh Hoa City until 2030, with a vision to 2045 (Resolution No. 05). This resolution clearly states that the merger of Dong Son district into Thanh Hoa City must be linked to the construction of a synchronous and modern infrastructure and the acceleration of urbanization.

On October 24, 2024, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 1238/NQ-UBTVQH15 on the rearrangement of district and commune-level administrative units in Thanh Hoa province for the period 2023-2025. This Resolution takes effect from January 1, 2025. Accordingly, the entire area and population of Dong Son district will be merged into Thanh Hoa City. After the rearrangement, Thanh Hoa City will have 47 commune-level administrative units, including 33 wards and 14 communes; with a natural area of ​​228.22 km2 and a population of 615,106 people.

The adjustment of administrative boundaries, the continuous increase in area and population, has created resources, room for growth, and opened up opportunities for the city to develop faster and more sustainably. In recent years, the socio-cultural fields in Thanh Hoa City have seen progressive changes; many major, distinctive political, economic, and cultural events with profound social impact have been organized. The campaign "Building a civilized city, friendly citizens" continues to be focused on; social welfare is taken care of; and the material and spiritual lives of the people have improved significantly... The average per capita income in 2023 reached 84.67 million VND, 1.53 times higher than the average income of the province.

From ancient Hac Thanh to present-day Thanh Hoa City, through many historical periods filled with countless changes, joys, and sorrows for generations, what everyone can see is that Thanh Hoa City today has made remarkable and commendable progress. This is because the Party Committee and the people of the city have known how to awaken and promote the resilience, self-reliance, revolutionary traditions, and aspirations for development; these are the driving forces and internal resources that realize the aspiration for prosperity and flourishing, leading Thanh Hoa into a "New Era of Development - The Era of the Vietnamese Nation's Ascent."

KIEU HUYEN

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/hac-thanh-xua-tp-thanh-hoa-nay-233979.htm