Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - Ha Noi

The central sector of Imperial Citadel of Thang Long – Ha Noi covers area of 20ha, includes archaeological area at 18 Hoang Dieu Street and relics in Ha Noi Citadel such as: Bac Mon, Doan Mon

Geographical position

The central sector of Imperial Citadel of Thang Long – Hanoi covers area of 20ha, includes archaeological area at 18 Hoang Dieu Street and relics in Ha Noi Citadel such as: Bac Mon, Doan Mon, Hau Lau, stone dragons in Kinh Thien Palace, dragon house, house D67 and Ha Noi flag tower. These relics are surrounded by 4 streets: Phan Dinh Phung Street in the north, Dien Bien Phu Street in the south, Nguyen Tri Phuong Street in the east and Hoang Dieu Street in the west.

History

In 1009, Ly Cong Uan was enthroned, founded Ly Dynasty. In July, 1010, the king promulgated Chieu Doi Do (the royal decree) to change the capital city from Hoa Lu (Ninh Binh) to Dai La Citadel. After transferring the capital city, Ly Cong Uan had Citadel of Thang Long built and the citadel construction was finished in early 1011.

The ancient Citadel of Thang Long was encircled by three incorporated forts. The outer fort was Kinh Thanh (Imperial City), where the general public lived. Surrounded by the Hong, To Lich and Kim Nguu rivers, Kinh Thanh acted as a dyke system for the capital city. The second fort (the middle ring) was Hoang Thanh (Imperial Citadel), where the royal court, offices and residence of mandarins were located. The smallest and most inner enclosure was Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden City) where the king, queens and concubines lived in seclusion.

The Citadel of Thang Long was repaired and had many new works in Tran Dynasty and expanded in Le So Dynasty. From 1516 to 1788 in dynasties of Mac and Le Trung Hung, the Citadel of Thang Long was destroyed many times. In early 1789, King Quang Trung transferred the capital city to Phu Xuan, the Citadel of Thang Long only acted as Bac Thanh (the northern defensive fortification).

In Nguyen Dynasty, the remainders of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long were transferred to Phu Xuan for building new citadel. Only Kinh Thien Palace and Hau Lau were retained to be accommodations for Kings Nguyen during their business trips to the Bac Thanh. In 1805, King Gia Long ordered the demolition of walls surrounding the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long and requested the building of a new, smaller citadel called Ha Noi Citadel with architectural style of Vauban (France). In 1831, King Minh Mang changed name of the Citadel of Thang Long to Ha Noi Province in a big administrative reform. When French colonists occupied all Indochina, they chose Ha Noi as the capital of French Indochina Union and the Ha Noi Citadel was destroyed to build military camp for French colonists. Since the Vietnamese army took the control of the capital city in 1954, the Ha Noi Citadel has become the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense.  The first value of the central sector of Imperial Citadel of Thang Long – Ha Noi shows that it is nearly a book displaying over 10 century- history of Thang Long – Ha Noi from Dai La Citadel in Pre-Thang Long period to nowadays.

Archaeological value

History revealed that Imperial Citadel of Thang Long changed a lot but its centre, especially Forbidden City, remained nearly unchanged. As architectural structures inside the Imperial Citadel were rebuilt and upgraded several times, this explained for the findings of layers of architectural vestiges and artefacts at archaeological site at 18 Hoang Dieu. These vestiges reflect clearly relation between urban project and architectural space as well as succession of dynasties in building the Citadel of Thang Long. This is the unique and prominent value of the central sector of Imperial Citadel of Thang Long – Ha Noi.

Here, archaeologists excavated a great deal of porcelain and ceramic wares used in the Imperial Citadel through various stages of development. The findings paved the way for researchers to study ceramics made in Thang Long and ceramic wares used in the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long through different dynasties. It is also concrete evidence about high development level of economy and culture. In addition, porcelains and bronze coins of China, Japan, Western Asia… found here proved that Thang Long was centre of cultural exchange among countries in area and received quintessence values of humanity

At 20h30 on July 30, 2010 in Brasilia Capital of Brazil, World Heritage Committee of UNESCO recognized the central sector of Imperial Citadel of Thang Long – Ha Noi as world cultural heritage based on three prominent criterions: historical and cultural length; its continuousness as a power centre; diversification and plenty of vestiges and artifacts. In opening ceremony of the 1000^th anniversary of Thang Long – Ha Noi on October 1, 2010, Ms Irina Bokova – General Director of UNESCO gave certification of the central sector of Imperial Citadel of Thang Long – Ha Noi to leaders of Ha Noi City.

Breathtaking Coc Ly Fairy Cave

Being one of the most majestic and beautiful of Bac Ha district (Lao Cai province), Coc Ly fairy cave is located on the highland which is about 2,000 m over sea level.

Although Coc Ly fairy cave was discovered by the local residents very soon, its beauty and poetic started being known widely few years ago after the development of the local tourism, especially when Bao Nhai-Coc Ly market Vietnam travel guide was established. 

People call Coc Ly a fairy cave because of its association with the legend of three fairies. The three fairies , allowed to visit the human world by Ngoc Hoang, were fascinated by the charming beauty of Coc Ly cave and they didn’t want to go back to the sky. This made Ngoc Hoang angry so he let Thien Loi down to pusnish the fairies.

Finally, the three fairies jumped to the water to commit suicide and their dead bodies were found by the local people at the downstream (centre of Bao Nhai, Bac Ha district nowaday). A temple named Ba Co which was built for the cult of three fairies is said to be very sacred.

Coc Ly fairy cave is a special destination included in the Chay river. There are populations of three caves which have different beauties. Visiting Coc Ly cave, visitors will be fascinated by a world of stalactites which are in various shapes and covered by the vine curtain at the entrance.

The cave looks like a majestic maze, its stalactites form the shapes of flowers, big lotus and the inside space is so magical because of the rare light radiating from outside. The bats also choose the cave to be their residential place.

Foodies of Hoi An

Hoi An boasts some of the best food I've eaten on my trip thus far. For whatever reason, this little town claims a few delectable dishes as unique to their town alone.

The first is White Rose, a simple but outstanding meat and shrimp dumpling steamed in a rice dough that somewhat resembles a white rose.

White Rose dumplings

Second is Cao Lau, a noodle and beef soup with bean sprouts and fresh herbs mixed in when it arrives at the table. The noodles are only available in Hoi An because they are made from a particular water source that gives them their unique texture.

The noodles are a bit doughy but the dish is truly delectable because the meat is marinated and tastes a bit of cinnamon. And the fresh herbs are amazing...mint and basil, I believe.

Cao Lau served with rice crackers.

Finally, crispy rice pancakes, known as "Banh Xeo", which consist of a fried pancake, kind of like a rice crepe, with bean sprouts and shrimp inside. The dish is served with all sorts of fresh herbs which you put inside the pancake and then wrap in a thin piece of rice paper. It's topped off by dipping in an amazing spicy peanut sauce. To die for.

Crispy rice pancake with fresh herbs, ready to be rolled

A rolled pancake, ready for dipping!

Hoi An also makes a delightful fried won ton, showing the Chinese influence on this old port town. I for one am glad, because they are darn good.

Okay, they look a bit funky, but are basically fried yumminess wrapped around a meat center with veggies and sauce on top

During this trip I've also grown a slight obsession for squid, which I eat nearly every day. I've tried just about every type of squid you could imagine and my favorite thus far came from a food stand in Hoi An called "Mr. Hung."

I ordered squid grilled in a banana leaf with onions, garlic and lemongrass. It was so tender and delicious that I ate the entire thing. The ladies cooking the food made fun of me and said, mostly through sign language, that if I ate squid like that everyday I'd get fat!!

My squid is somewhere in that banana leaf, which is in a wire basket being grilled on an open flame....heaven.

The final dish...

Both Betsy and I agreed that Morning Glory was the best restaurant we visited in Hoi An. The food was simple, fresh and absolutely amazing. The proprietress of the restaurant cooks family food the way her mother taught her.

I want to live at her house! She said that fresh herbs are such a strong cultural influence that many Vietnamese will start to feel homesick if they cannot have fresh herbs everyday. It's true that most food comes with a plate of herbs which makes a huge difference in the quality of the dish.

Betsy ordered this interesting dish at Morning Glory...a shrimp coconut curry actually cooked in a young coconut. The sauce was slightly sweet and unbelievably flavorable.

The Vietnamese do not eat sweet breakfasts like we do in the states. One staple of their diet is "congee" which is a rice porridge with either fish, chicken or pork. It's savory and quite good!

The coffee here is also fantastic, albeit a little strong. It will seriously put hair on your chest so they dilute it with sweetened condensed milk! And it comes with a little coffee filter perched on the cup. Seriously delicious.

Congee for breakfast with a cup of coffee in the background. I love the little coffee filter so it can brew right at the table!

Another item that is everywhere in Vietnam is "pho," pronounced "fer." This is a simple noodle soup, traditionally with beef but you can get it with chicken or veggies, that is once again served with a pile of bean sprouts and fresh herbs you mix in at the table. Fantastic.

"Pho", aka noodle soup, with a plate of fresh herbs and some fresh coconut water. You can't get much healthier than that!

Finally, I tried a traditional Vietnamese dessert called "Che" which is basically a sweet green bean soup. It's actually made with mung beans and is only slightly sweet but quite good! No wonder the Vietnamese are so slender! They even eat veggies for dessert!!

Eating my sweet green bean soup, served cold in a glass

I reluctantly leave the food of Vietnam behind...and will seek out Vietnamese restaurants in the states as soon as I return!

Hue panorama

 Hue is the capital city of Thua Thien – Hue province, Vietnam. Between 1802 and 1945, it was the imperial capital of the Nguyen dynasty. Let see Hue city through photos.

Hue city Riders: Ao dai wearing cyclists in the Citadel at Hue Photo by a song under the sugar sugar Perfume River Sunset Photo by jeffreylowy Water puppet theater: Water puppets are beautiful, fully articulated puppets depicting life on the Perfume River. Folktales of playful dragons, a dance of phoenixes, water buffalo, and wading maidens revealed how vital the river was — and still is — to the local people. It is both the main artery and the life-giving blood of Hué and its surrounds. The puppeteers hide behind a bamboo scrim and wade in waist-deep water to operate the puppets with a series of rods and bamboo sticks. Houseboats on the Dong Ba canal Photo by ultrapop Looking out onto the Perfume River Photo by ultrapop Chua Ba Pagoda: Chua Ba was founded by the Hainan Chinese Congregation almost a century ago. It was damaged in the Tet offensive and subsequently reconstructed. On the central altar is Thien Hau Thanh Mau, the Goddess of the Sea and Protector of Fishermen and Sailors. Inside is a glass case in which Quan Cong sits flanked by his usual companions, the mandarin general Chau Xuong to his right, and the administrative mandarin Quang Binh to his left. Noon Gate: Entrance to the Forbidden City in Hue, Vietnam. This shot was taken in the first night of the Vietnamese New Year, Year of the Pig Dieu De National Pagoda: Dieu De was built by King Thieu Tri in 1844 on the foundation of his old residence where he was born in 1807. The pagoda was constructed on a large scale, but was badly damaged during the successive wars. In 1889, Bonze Tam Truyen was granted funding by King Thanh Thai to restore the pagoda, but again it was badly damaged, this time during a storm in 1904. The present construction was made in 1953. The pagoda includes a main sanctuary with two statues of the Eight Vajra Deities. Behind the pagoda is a guest-room and a kitchen. In the courtyard stand a stele house and a bell tower. The two-story entrance gate (seen in the background) is topped with Dhamma Guardian’s pavilion.  Khai Dinh Tomb Photo by nguyentrung Inside the tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh Photo by discopalace Photo by nguyentrung Imperial City Photo by Ptoutain Forbidden Purple City: Just a gate left now. It was almost destroyed entirely in the wars. The Forbidden Purple City was a citadel within a citadel within a citadel. It housed the emperor’s concubines and could only be entered by eunuchs. The grounds around Dam Nam Giao: Like a set from a Yimou Zhang film! You almost expect a sword fight in the trees. Dam Nam Giao was a ceremonial terrace where the Nguyen Emperors reaffirmed the legitimacy of their rule through a series of elaborate sacrifices (animal, not human.)

Traditional Beauty of Vietnamese Culture Kept and Promoted in Tuong Binh Hiep Village

Tuong Binh Hiep Lacquer Village in Binh Duong province is well-known nationwide for many centuries. It is considered the cradle of local lacquer industry. In Vietnam travel, tourists coming there will not only enjoy beautiful lacquer paintings, but learn more about good traditional values of Vietnamese culture as well.

Tuong Binh Hiep Village is located in Tuong Binh Hiep Commune, Thu Dau Mot Town, Binh Duong Province, about 7km north of town centre. 

In early 18th century, the people in traditional lacquer trade migrated to Thu Dau Mot Town from the North, the Central and set up a village. After their life was rather stable, they made first lacquer paintings to commemorate homeland. Those lacquer paintings were known and bought by the richer in the village. There was more and more demand for this product and households gradually specialized in lacquer trade to set up Tuong Binh Hiep Lacquer Village. 

Each Tuong Binh Hiep lacquer product made scrupulously by artisans is an art work in high aesthetic value. In order to make a lacquer product on traditional mode, it must spend time and effort with 25 strict steps. There are some steps which must be made many times such as bamboo framing of painting. Painting step must spend 3 - 6 months to ensure quality for each product.  

After many generations, the Tuong Binh Hiep lacquer still keeps traditional beauty. It’s sophistication of Orient art. The Tuong Binh Hiep lacquer product has better quality and more multiform design than other ones. According to some experts, the Tuong Binh Hiep lacquer product can bear frigid climate of Europe, not be cracked, peeled off or deformed.  

 At present, lacquer workshops can produce many multiform products. Beside traditional lacquer products are still being loved, series of products made have modern design, suitable for different demand. In addition, new materials have been used to create unique feature for lacquer products here. The lacquer products inlaid with bamboo, tree skin... instead of oyster, snail, egg shell have been accepted by domestic and international tourists in Vietnam travel, especially from United State, France, Holland.  

It is obvious that Tuong Binh Hiep lacquer village has more and more developed. The Tuong Binh Hiep lacquer has stilled been had feature of traditional culture. It is not only the pride of the trade village, but also the cultural heritage of Vietnam.

Binh An Tourist Resort in Soc Trang

Binh An Tourist Resort is supposed to resemble Dam Sen Cultural Park in Ho Chi Minh City. When coming here, tourists in Vietnam travel get the chance to join many recreation and entertainment activities.

Situated at No. 71, Ward 2, Soc Trang Town, Soc Trang Province; by the Highway No. 1A, Binh An Tourist Resort resembles Dam Sen Cultural Park in Ho Chi Minh City, but in a smaller scale.

Coming here, tourists in Vietnam travel have opportunities to join many recreation and entertainment activities. The tree-lined road system, the network of swimming pools, fishponds and other facilities are well arranged. That is the reason why this resort is suitable to tourists, with their different tastes and hobbies.

Behind the gate lies a man-made mountain 30 to 40 meters high. Atop the mountain stands a big statue of Avalokitesvara. At the foot of the mountain there are fishponds and paths. Inside the mountain is a mini hotel. Next to the mountain stands a two-storey villa built in the mixed Russian and Chinese architectural style, where wedding ceremonies, parties or banquets can be held.

The Binh An Tourist Resort has stirred up the atmosphere of a peaceful town imbued with Khmer cultural identity in Soc Trang, a province of the western part of south Vietnam.

Phat Tich Pagoda - a Buddhist cultural center with ancient sculptural

Phat Tich Pagoda - a Buddhist cultural center contains cultural and sculptural values of the Ly Dynasty. it is ideal destination for you to visit and research about Ly Dynasty.

Phat Tich (Buddha’s Trace) Pagoda, located in Phat Tich Commune, Tien Du District, Bac Ninh Province, is a cultural and historical relic in Vietnam which contains cultural and sculptural values of the Ly Dynasty.

Phat Tich Pagoda, was built between the 7th and 10th centuries, and underwent several transformations throughout the years. It was first renovated during the Ly Dynasty. In 1057, King Ly Thanh Tong had a tower erected and a golden statue made. Later in the 17th century, the pagoda was enlarged. Unfortunately, the pagoda was ravaged by the war in 1947 and was rebuilt again in a simpler style in 1958. And in 1991, the pagoda has been reconstructed following ancient architectural designs.

 Among the remains of the pagoda is the Amitabha Buddha stone statue dating back from the 10th-11th centuries, which is considered precious object. The columns of the pagoda are decorated with intricately carved lotus flowers and orchestra with artisans playing various types of traditional musical instruments.

The Amitabha Buddha stone statue dating back from the 10th-11th centuries

According to historical records, Phat Tich Pagoda was as an importance national pagoda, where the Kings of Ly Dynasty often come to hold the Buddhist ceremonies and pray peaceful and prosperous for the country and safety for people. This was not only a Buddhist cultural center but also the place where Buddhist monks were trained. With such special values, Phat Tich deserves as a national vestige where preserves national treasures.

 Phat Tich Pagoda was the place where exhibit the largest Buddha Gem statue in Viet Nam – weighing 4.5 tons and standing 3.5 meters high, engraved out of Nephrite stone block, from 16 to 22 of May 2009. The world itinerary of the Buddha Gem statute has been put together to promote world peace. Before arriving at Phat Tich Pagoda, the Buddha Gem statue had visited Da Nang, Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City, and Dong Thap in Viet Nam. After leaving Phat Tich Pagoda, the statue traveled to other places in the world such as USA, Taiwan etc. before being settled at the Peace Tower in Bendigo, New South Wales, Australia.

 In 2010, the project of renovating and restoring the Historical Cultural Vestige of Phat Tich Pagoda has almost completed which cost 75 billion VND sourced from the State budget and donations from organizations, individuals and Buddhist followers nationwide. The Phat Tich pagoda has named project to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi.

 

The giant Buddha statue has been placed on the Phat Tich Mountain.

Now coming to Phat Tich Pagoda, visitors will have chance to contemplate a new wonder of Bac Ninh Province. That is the statue - 27 metres high (including Buddha's throne and pedestal) and weighs more than 3,000 tonnes which considered as one of the largest stone statues in Southeast Asia and the first of its kind in Viet Nam. It has constructed since February 2007. The statue is shaped based on the model of Amitabha Buddha statue which was made of stone during the Ly Dynasty - a masterpiece of the national fine-art with skillful lines. Therefore, the making of pattern and clothing creases for the giant Buddha statue is a very painstaking work. This giant work is the achievements of tireless labor of many people. Hundreds of artisans from Ninh Van Stone Village (Ninh Binh Province) have worked hard for almost four years under the difficult construction conditions on the mountain. They had to use rail to transport tens-tonnes rocks up to the mountain to preserve the surroundings. The construction of the statue was referenced by many experts. This work was also strictly reviewed and approved.

 The giant Buddha statue has been placed on the Phat Tich Mountain at the 108 metres above sea-level with the inner wishes of natural potential as this is place of sacred mountain, Mount of Buddha, marking first place where the Buddhism rose up in Viet Nam.

If tourists in Vietnam Travel have chance to visit Bac Ninh Province, Phat Tich Pagoda is a must-see place that should not be missed!