The south wall of the Ho Dynasty Citadel

More than seven centuries ago, a fort commanded more importance and pride than cities and provinces.

From 1397 to 1407, the fort was the capital of Vietnam under the Ho Dynasty.

Known as Tay Do (Capital of the West), the Ho Dynasty Citadel is located in Tay Giai village in Hoa Binh Province, approximately 150 kilometers west of Hanoi.

The citadel was constructed from 1397 to 1401 and some modifications were made in1403 under the rule of Ho Quy Ly, who ascended the throne succeeding the Tran Dynasty.

The location is adjacent to the four villages: Tay Giai, Xuan Giai, Thuong Giai and Dong Mon in the districts of Vinh Tien and Vinh Lac in Thanh Hoa Province.

Unlike other Vietnamese citadels, which up until that time had been built of earth, the Ho Dynasty Citadel was made of green block granite. The walls were approximately five meters high and three meters thick. Each wall had a stone entrance, and the citadel itself was protected by a deep moat than ran on all sides.

The citadel did not serve a uniquely military purpose, however, for inside the enclosure was the royal palace. For 10 years, the Ho Dynasty Citadel served as the seat of the dynasty’s central government.

In 1407, the citadel was abandoned and destroyed when Ho Quy Ly was captured and taken prisoner by Chinese Ming troops. The only vestiges of the Ho Dynasty Citadel are its south wall and gate, and two carved stone dragons that formerly had been part of the royal palace’s structure.

Do Quang Trong, chief of Ho Dynasty Citadel’s Managing Board says that the citadel is not only an ancient capital but also a unique military architectural monument of its time, the Vietnamese feudal history in particular and of the Southeast Asian region in general.

Thanh Hoa Province expects to submit by this September all the files and applications for the citadel to be recognized as a World Heritage site by the UNESCO.

Reported by Hanh Thi