Thang Long Imperial Citadel - cultural tourism destination

Having gone through more than a millennium of ups and downs with the country, Thang Long Imperial Citadel today has become a cultural and heritage tourism destination with many unique creative activities.

The first Hanoi World Cultural Festival was held at Thang Long Imperial Citadel from October 10 to 12. Photo: Hoang Lan

Discover a thousand-year heritage

Thang Long Imperial Citadel was built in the 11th century, after King Ly Cong Uan moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Dai La and renamed it Thang Long in 1010. Since then, this place has become the center of political, cultural and ideological power of the country during many dynasties: Ly, Tran, Le, Mac and Nguyen. Each period left behind different architectural traces, artifacts and cultural sediments, creating a vivid picture of Vietnamese history.

Over the vicissitudes of time, there are not many intact structures left, but the foundation layers, archaeological and architectural traces discovered at Thang Long Imperial Citadel have clearly demonstrated the continuity of the center of power in Vietnam for more than 13 centuries. In 2010, on the occasion of the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi, the Central Area of Thang Long Imperial Citadel was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage, affirming its outstanding global value in history, architecture and culture.

Coming to Thang Long Imperial Citadel, visitors can feel the vivid historical picture recreated through each vestige. The center of the relic complex is Doan Mon - the main gate leading to the central area, which used to be the place where the king passed through when entering the court. Passing through Doan Mon is Kinh Thien Palace - the political center of the Le Dynasty, now only the palace foundation remains but still exudes majesty and sacredness.

On both sides are the North Gate, House and D67 bunker - the command base of the Ministry of National Defense during the resistance war against the US. Recently, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2, the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center opened additional sightseeing activities at the Cryptographic Bunker and Hanoi Flag Tower.

As a heritage lover, tourists cannot help but visit the archaeological site at 18 Hoang Dieu, where scientists discovered thousands of relics, architectural foundations, bricks and tiles with typical patterns of dynasties. From bricks engraved with the words "Giang Tay army", "Dai Viet national army citadel" to pieces of porcelain, sophisticated pottery... tell the story of one of the most prosperous capitals in Southeast Asia in the Middle Ages.

Here, visitors not only admire thousand-year-old archaeological artifacts but also experience drawing water from ancient wells from the Tran Dynasty. Today, the mysterious story of ancient wells thousands of years old, always full of clear water, still has an irresistible attraction for visitors.

Destination of cultural quintessence

Last weekend, the Thang Long Imperial Citadel Heritage Site became an attractive cultural and tourist destination with the first Hanoi World Cultural Festival. The festival was attended by 48 countries and international organizations, with many unique cultural spaces and events such as the "Cultural Road" exhibition, the "Heritage Footsteps" program, film screenings, Book Festival, activities introducing culinary arts of various countries and 30 international art performances. The organizers said that after 3 days, the festival attracted about 1 million visitors, showing the appeal of a major cultural event taking place at the heart of the capital's heritage.

For many years, the Thang Long Imperial Citadel Heritage Site has become the destination of many cultural and tourism events and festivals in Hanoi and the whole country, a meeting place for international friends, such as the Monsoon International Music Festival, Hanoi Ao Dai Tourism Festival, Hanoi Pho Festival, Hanoi World Culture Festival...

In addition to organizing creative festivals to attract tourists, the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center also organizes activities to introduce the beauty of ancient Thang Long culture in new ways such as organizing exhibitions, performing animations or applying 3D technology to recreate some ancient royal culture and rituals such as the Fan Banning Ceremony, the Main Birthday Ceremony, the Farewell to the Old and Welcome to the New Ceremony...

According to Director of the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center Nguyen Thanh Quang, the center advocates preserving and promoting heritage on the basis of continuous creativity and innovation, with the aim of turning Thang Long Imperial Citadel into a vibrant cultural, artistic and tourist center of the capital - a familiar destination for domestic and foreign tourists.

Currently, along with the development of new tourism products such as the "Decoding Thang Long Imperial Citadel" Night Tour, cultural tours to explore relics in strategic bunkers, taking photos and checking in at Hanoi Flag Tower... Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center also effectively applies digital technology applications, digitizes data of collected artifacts, and applies multi-language automatic commentary technology on smartphones. With just a light touch on the phone screen, visitors can easily learn about the history and information of the relic.

With a sustainable development orientation, Hanoi is continuing to plan, expand and restore the heritage area, connecting Thang Long Imperial Citadel with Co Loa area, Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, Hoan Kiem Lake, Old Quarter... creating a chain of unique tourist and cultural spaces of the Capital. This is not only a great potential for tourism but also an opportunity for Hanoi to affirm its position as a "Creative City", where culture is placed at the center of development.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/hoang-thanh-thang-long-diem-hen-du-lich-van-hoa-720196.html