Numerous traces have been unearthed in the Kính Thiên Palace area of ​​Thăng Long Imperial Citadel.

On the morning of December 29th, in Hanoi, the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center held a preliminary report on the results of the 2025 exploratory excavation of the Kinh Thien main palace area (Thang Long Imperial Citadel).

The excavation shed light on the scale and foundations of the Kính Thiên Palace during the Lê dynasty, the Long Thiên Palace during the Nguyễn dynasty, and for the first time discovered traces of Lý, Trần, and pre-Thăng Long cultural periods here.

Preliminary excavation results have revealed many important traces. The current excavation site has a stratigraphic layer 6 meters thick, comprising 6 cultural layers, spanning from the Pre-Thang Long period (7th-10th centuries) to the modern period (19th-20th centuries). The thickest layer, nearly 3 meters thick, is the Le Dynasty cultural layer, consisting of successive Early Le and Later Le layers.

 

The main area of ​​the Kính Thiên Palace foundation (Thăng Long Imperial Citadel) has revealed many traces of historical dynasties.

Corresponding to the aforementioned cultural layers are architectural remains from various periods, including: 1 row of red bricks from the Tran Dynasty (13th - 14th centuries); 1 row of gray bricks from the early Le Dynasty (15th - 16th centuries); 1 stone paving foundation of the Imperial Road; 14 architectural foundations of the Kinh Thien Palace from the Restoration period (17th - 18th centuries), bringing the total number of exposed column foundations of the Kinh Thien Palace over the years 2011, 2023 and 2025 to 30, out of a total of 36 foundations, with two types of foundations: single and double foundations, from the Nguyen Dynasty (19th century); 2 water conduits; and 26/64 column foundations of the Long Thien Palace architecture.

The remains of Long Thien Palace perfectly match the East-West boundary of the French-era Artillery building. The exposed foundation, columns, and drainage system confirm that Long Thien Palace was built by King Gia Long according to the characteristic Nguyen Dynasty architecture of "double-tiered roofs," with two buildings, the front hall and the main hall, placed on the same foundation and connected by an auxiliary hall.

Archaeologists, delegates, and leaders of the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center presented a preliminary report on the results of the exploratory excavation of the Kinh Thien main palace area.

According to archaeologists, the excavation has yielded many new insights, with the discovery of a 6-meter-thick cultural layer, marking a significant step in confirming the location and structure of the Kính Thiên Palace foundation (15th-18th centuries) superimposed on layers of culture from the Lý and Trần dynasties (11th-14th centuries), and the Pre-Thăng Long period (7th-10th centuries). This demonstrates the paramount importance and sacred position of the Kính Thiên Palace foundation in the history and culture of Thăng Long in particular, and Đại Việt in general, within the nation's millennia-long historical and cultural development.

This is the most reliable scientific basis that contributes to the decision-making process for the strategy of restoring the Kính Thiên main hall and its surrounding space during the Lê dynasty.

The excavation also fulfills the recommendations of UNESCO and ICOMOS, and the requirements of the Law on Cultural Heritage, providing clearer evidence of the fundamental attributes and outstanding universal value of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel - Hanoi World Heritage Site.

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/hoang-thanh-thang-long-phat-lo-nhieu-dau-tich-tu-thoi-tien-thang-long-the-ky-vii-x-den-thoi-hien-dai-1019145