Thang Long Imperial Citadel - The golden mark of the nation

Perhaps we all know the two verses of Huynh Van Nghe: "Since the time of carrying swords to open the country/ The Southern sky misses the land of Thang Long", which is the "land of Thang Long" in that verse - the embodiment of Thang Long for thousands of years. That is why, that day we were surprised to see a bustling stream of people coming to visit, enough to clearly see the popularity and strong attraction of this historical site. Just after 8 am, the area was crowded, everyone wanted to admire the magnificent beauty of the ancient palace, which had witnessed many heroic pages of the nation's history. In the warm atmosphere of spring, we together offered incense, remembering the previous emperors, heroes and generations of fathers who sacrificed their blood and bones to protect the country. In my heart, I could not help but be moved when remembering the heroic sacrifice of the two Governors of Hanoi - Nguyen Tri Phuong and Hoang Dieu - who did not waver or fear the invasion of foreign countries. Suddenly, the words of beloved President Ho Chi Minh echoed in my mind: "Our people have a passionate love for the country. That is a precious tradition of ours." Learning about the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, I respect the priceless historical values ​​of this place even more. Since the reign of King Ly Thai To, the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long was chosen as the capital of Dai Co Viet and continued to be the capital of the Ly, Tran, Le So, Mac, and Le Trung Hung dynasties for 750 years. The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long was built with three walls: the outermost wall was La Thanh, surrounding roads such as Dai Co Viet, De La Thanh, Buoi... The second wall was the Imperial Citadel and in the middle was where the people lived and did business. The innermost wall was the Forbidden City, where the king and the royal family lived and worked. At the end of the 19th century, the French colonialists destroyed these walls, leaving only relics such as the North Gate, Doan Mon, Hau Lau, and Hanoi Flag Tower...

Tour group at Doan Mon gate.

After a long period of being buried, the Thang Long Imperial Citadel relic site was discovered in 2002, when archaeologists conducted a stratigraphic survey to prepare for the project of building the National Assembly Hall. At that time, one of the articles “Heritage before the excavator: Telling the story of discovering the Thang Long Imperial Citadel relic site” moved us deeply. The dedication and patience of the archaeologists during the excavation journey, despite facing many challenges, were truly worthy of the extremely precious values ​​they brought. Today, through artifacts such as dragon heads, phoenix heads holding pearls, bodhi leaves, terracotta mascots decorating the roofs of palaces, temples, and elaborately carved stone pedestals that were excavated and preserved, we can imagine the magnificent space of the ancient capital. In particular, ceramic objects such as bowls, jars, and plates bearing the shape of dragons - sacred symbols of the East, once reserved for kings, made me appreciate this cultural value even more. And a special artifact that impressed us journalists was a brown-glazed ceramic loudspeaker, made during the Tran Dynasty. The loudspeaker was decorated with sophisticated patterns, covered with brown glaze and engraved with delicate motifs. This loudspeaker reminds us of propaganda work, calling for military service, uniting the army and people, a key factor leading to victory in defending the Fatherland and preserving the country's borders. Mr. Nguyen Quynh - a colleague at Hung Yen Newspaper expressed: "This is the first time I have been to Thang Long Imperial Citadel. What impressed me most was the loudspeaker from the Tran Dynasty and many sophisticated relics, made of stone and terracotta, preserved quite intact through the ages. As a history lover, I am extremely moved and proud to admire these ancient cultural vestiges." Experiencing the Imperial Citadel with his family, Mr. Tran Manh Dung, in Ha Dong district (Hanoi) also shared: “Thang Long Imperial Citadel is a place that preserves profound historical imprints of the process of building and protecting the capital. I want to bring my children here during the spring to both entertain and learn about traditional cultural features, helping them love their homeland and country more.” Experiencing Thang Long Imperial Citadel during the early spring, the space here becomes more sacred and meaningful than ever. Coming here, not only to admire the ancient architectural beauty, but also to deeply feel the heroic spirit of the historical days when Hanoi overcame difficulties. In particular, I was very impressed with the basement located in the heart of this heritage, which preserves a heroic period in the resistance war against the US. This is not only a solid military structure but also a symbol of the resilient and indomitable spirit of the Hanoi army and people. This bunker was designed to withstand attacks from the US Air Force and was the place to hold important meetings to protect the capital, contributing to the historic victory of "Dien Bien Phu in the air". Currently, the bunker has become a historical relic, open to visitors, so that the younger generation can learn about the great feat of the nation and pay tribute to the sacrifices of their ancestors. Artifacts such as transmitters, war maps, and many other objects in the bunker are still vivid evidence of a heroic historical period. Thang Long Imperial Citadel is not only the pride of the people of the capital but also the pride of all children carrying the blood of Lac Hong. The cultural heritage of Thang Long Imperial Citadel was recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage since 2010. Currently open every day of the week, it is a destination not to be missed for those who love to learn about history and culture. If you have never been here, take the time to admire and feel the priceless value of this heritage - a precious cultural treasure of the Vietnamese people.

Source: https://baobacninh.vn/hoang-thanh-thang-long-dau-an-vang-son-cua-dan-toc-95336.html