In under 500 days, Thang Long-Ha Noi will celebrate its 1,000th anniversary. Professor Phan Huy Le talks about the rich history of the Thang Long Citadel.

I think we should focus on the Thang Long Citadel, which we hope will be recognised as a world heritage site in 2010. Plans are also underway to build a cultural park at the site that should be really impressive. This site represents the history and culture of the capital dating back a thousand years.

Architectural treasures date back to 1010 when Ly Thai To, the founder of the Ly dynasty, moved the court from Hoa Lu in present-day Ninh Binh Province to Thang Long.

The Tran dynasty created a new architectural style that incorporated features of the Ly period.

Because the new capital was built on the foundations of earlier dynasties, there are still vestiges of these earlier periods, such as the drainage system and wells.

As archaeologists dug deeper, they found that each metre of earth represented a different period of history. Relics unearthed from a depth of 0.90m-1.90m were from the Le dynasty (15-18th century). Below that, at a depth of 1.90-3m, archaeologist found antiquities from the Ly and Tran dynasties (11th-14th centuries). The oldest relics were discovered at a depth of 3-4.20m, dating from the 7th-9th centuries, the Dai La or pre-Thang Long periods.

Photos cataloguing finds from the 14th century can be found at the Far East French Institute. What part did the Thang Long Citadel play during the French colonial period?

During the French occupation, Ha Noi was the capital of Indochina and the Thang Long Citadel was the French military zone. From 1954 to 2004, the old citadel was the headquarters of the Viet Nam Military Army.

Could we consider the Thang Long Citadel to be the cultural capital?

The citadel was the centre of power, politics and culture in the country. The palaces were built using the highest quality materials by skilled craftsmen from all over the country.

Among the artefacts unearthed, are beautifully worked ceramics, of intricate and fascinating design. On one artefact was engraved the word quan (mandarin) and the name of the palace Truong Lac Cung (Truong Lac Palace). They also found objects with five-clawed dragons, a symbol of the emperor’s power. For more than seven centuries, from the beginning of the 11th century to the late 18th century, the citadel was very much the cultural capital of the country.

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