Throughout the history of the Vietnamese nation, the Thuan Hoa - Phu Xuan - Hue region has held a significant position. Recent archaeological discoveries indicate that humans have lived in this area for approximately 4,000 to 5,000 years. Among these, artifacts such as stone axes and pottery found in Phu O and Bau Dung (Huong Chu, Huong Tra) date back approximately 4,000 years. Stone axes discovered in various locations, particularly in the communes of Hong Bac, Hong Van, Hong Ha, Hong Thuy, Bac Son (A Luoi district), and Phong Thu (Phong Dien district), date back approximately 5,000 years.
Hue Imperial City. (Illustrative image)
The first important archaeological site associated with the Sa Huynh culture discovered in Thua Thien Hue in 1987 was Con Rang (La Chu, Huong Tra), which showed that the people of this culture had reached a high level of material and spiritual life approximately 2,500 years ago. Traces of this culture were also found at Cua Thieng (Phu Oc, Tu Ha, Huong Tra) in 1988. Along with the Sa Huynh culture, scientists also found evidence of the presence of the Dong Son culture in Thua Thien Hue. Proof of this is the discovery of a type 1 bronze drum in Phong My, Phong Dien in 1994. This is one of the unique artifacts of ancient Vietnamese culture.
According to ancient documents, thousands of years ago, Thua Thien Hue was home to diverse communities with varied cultural backgrounds. Legend says that during the formation of the Van Lang - An Lac state, Thua Thien Hue was part of the Viet Thuong region. At the beginning of the Northern domination period, this land belonged to Tuong Quan. In 116 BC, Nhat Nam Quan was established, replacing Tuong Quan. After Ngo Quyen's historic victory at Bach Dang (938 AD), Dai Viet gained independence. Over centuries of development, Thua Thien Hue became a crossroads between two major Eastern cultures and the culture of its indigenous inhabitants. With the prophecy "The Hoanh Son mountain range, a place of refuge for generations," in 1558, Nguyen Hoang requested to govern Thuan Hoa, beginning the Nguyen dynasty.
From this point onwards, the development of the Thuan Hoa - Phu Xuan region became closely linked to the careers of the nine Nguyen lords in Dang Trong (Southern Vietnam). For three centuries after returning to Dai Viet, Thuan Hoa was a battleground for power between Dang Trong and Dang Ngoai, with few periods of peace, thus lacking the conditions to form bustling urban centers. The establishment of Hoa Chau citadel (around the late 15th and early 16th centuries) likely existed only briefly as a defensive fortress, not as a center of urban life for Thuan Hoa at that time. It wasn't until 1636, when Lord Nguyen Phu Lan moved his residence to Kim Long, that the urbanization process in the history of what would later become Hue city began. More than a century later, in 1687, Lord Nguyen Phuc Thai moved the main residence to Thuy Loi village and renamed it Phu Xuan (located in the western part of the present-day Hue citadel), continuing to build and develop Phu Xuan into a prosperous urban center of Dang Trong. Although the Lord's residence was moved to Bac Vong at one point (1712-1723), when Vo Vuong ascended the throne, he moved the main residence back to Phu Xuan and built it "to the left of the old residence," which is the southeastern corner of the present-day Hue citadel.
The grandeur of Phu Xuan citadel under Nguyen Phuc Khoat was described by Le Quy Don in "Phu Bien Tap Luc" in 1776 and in "Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi" as a prosperous urban center stretching across both banks of the Perfume River delta, from Kim Long - Duong Xuan to Bao Vinh - Thanh Ha. Phu Xuan was the capital of Dang Trong (1687-1774), then became the capital of the unified Dai Viet under King Quang Trung (1788-1801), and finally the capital of Vietnam for nearly 1.5 centuries under the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945). Phu Xuan - Hue, Thua Thien Hue, became an important political, economic, cultural and artistic center of the country from those historical periods.
In 1858, the Franco-Spanish coalition launched an attack on Da Nang, marking the beginning of the French colonial invasion, followed by the American imperialist intervention in Vietnam. Along with the rest of the country, the people of Thua Thien Hue experienced two wars of resistance against foreign invaders, achieving peace, independence, and national unity with countless heroic achievements and stories.
From the French colonial period until the complete reunification of the country (1975), Thua Thien Hue was a continuous site of intense and fierce patriotic struggles. This land was a gathering place for many revolutionaries on the path to national salvation. Phan Bo Chau, Phan Chu Trinh, and many other patriotic figures were active here. It was also here that the young Nguyen Sinh Cung (later known as Nguyen Tat Thanh - President Ho Chi Minh) lived for nearly 10 years during his childhood before heading south to seek a way to save the country. In 1916, the Vietnam Restoration Society organized an uprising on a large scale across many provinces, and King Duy Tan joined the rebellion. This place is the cradle of the revolutionary movement, the training ground for outstanding talents and leaders of the Party and State, political, social, and scientific activists such as Le Duan, Pham Van Dong, Vo Nguyen Giap, Tran Phu, Ha Huy Tap, Nguyen Chi Dieu, Phan Dang Luu, Hai Trieu, Nguyen Khanh Toan... In July 1929, the Thua Thien Hue Provincial Committee of the Indochinese Communist Party was established, followed by the Provisional Provincial Committee of the Indochinese Communist League in early 1930. By April 1930, these two organizations merged to form the Thua Thien Hue Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, leading the people in the resistance war for national liberation. On August 23, 1945, with the spirit of the "August Revolution," the people of Thua Thien Hue rose up to overthrow the Nguyen dynasty. On August 30, 1945, the people of this region, on behalf of the entire nation, witnessed the abdication of King Bao Dai, marking the end of the last feudal dynasty in Vietnamese history and ushering in a new era of national development.
During the resistance war against French colonialism, places like Duong Hoa and Hoa My... were the sites of many glorious victories that resonated throughout the country. Throughout the 21 years of resistance against American imperialism, Thua Thien Hue was one of the three leading forces of the people's war in the South, fighting for the liberation of the country. On March 26, 1975, Thua Thien Hue was completely liberated, making a significant contribution to the liberation of the South, the reunification of the country, and the building of socialism alongside the rest of the nation.
Overcoming post-war difficulties, Thua Thien Hue has continuously strived to catch up with the development pace of the whole country. The lessons learned from both successes and limitations have crystallized into the strength and foundation for Thua Thien Hue to enter the era of renewal with all confidence and determination to build a more dignified and beautiful homeland, worthy of the efforts of our ancestors who painstakingly cultivated this heroic yet elegant land with its rich national cultural identity and a complex of historical relics recognized as a world cultural heritage site.
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