Vietnam is a country which has an abundant history and culture. Any visitors who come here always want to explore the cultural background of this country. If you want to learn about the history of Vietnam, so Ninh Binh is the place that you must not miss. In Ninh Binh province, Hoa Lu-the ancient capital, is a indispensible historical site.
1. Historical story about Hoa Lu:
More than 1000 years ago, in the year 968, after 12warlords event, Dinh Bo Linh ascended the throne, took the name as Tien Emperor and chosed Hoa Lu as the capital. Dinh Tien Hoang decided to choose Hoa Lu because this place had an extremely dangerous situation with sharp mountain ranges and rivers. He considered the mountains as the capital’s walls and rivers as the military defence system. Therefore, Hoa Lu also has a name: “Stone Capital”.
2. The location of Hoa Lu:
The ancient capital Hoa Lu covers an area of about 300ha which includes Thanh Ngoai, Thanh Noi and Thanh Nam. These main areas are surrounded by a series of arc- shaped stone, majestic scenery and the gaps betweent the mountainside are built of hard bricks which are from 8m to 10m high.
3. The architecture of Hoa Lu:
- Thanh Ngoai: Its width is 140ha and it belongs to the Yen Thanh village, Truong Yen commune. This is also the main place of the Dinh temple and the Le temple because Dinh Tien Hoang raised flag here. In the past, Thanh Ngoai was the daily workplace of Hoa Lu court.
- Thanh Noi: It is located at Chi Phong ancient village. It was the accomodation of the Royal family and some high ranking mandarins of the court.
- Thanh Nam, or thanh Trang An is located in the southern part of Hoa Lu citadel. It has the largest area and now it is located between the boundaries of Gia Vien and Hoa Lu districts of Ninh Binh city. In the past, Thanh Trang An had high mountains with deep moats which were used to protect the back of Hoa Lu. From here, soldiers could quickly movein through waterway.
4. Special tourist sites of Hoa Lu:
Hoa Lu is the place which is used to worship 2 famous King of Vietnam: King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh. The temple of King Dinh Tien Hoang is built on the ground of the old palace. In this temple, there are lotus pond, meridian gate, flower garden, three worship buildings and harem. King Dinh Tien Hoang and his sons are worshipped in the harem.
In King Le Dai Hanh’s temple, despite the fact that this place is smaller than the temple of King Dinh Tien Hoang, it still has three places: Bai Duong, Buried incense house for worshipping Pham Cu Luong, who helped Le Dai Hanh to ascend the throne and the main area. King Le Dai Hanh is worshipped in the middle of the main area, while Queen Duong Van Nga and his son, King Le Ngoa Trieuare worshipped respectively on the left and the right.
Hoa Lu has been officially ranked as one of the World Heritages by the UNESCO in 2004. Visiting Hoa Lu, tourists will be admired the beauty of this land’s nature and having an opportunity to learn more about the culture and history of Vietnamese at that time.
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- Tam Coc - Bich Dong: Halong bay on land.
- Get lost in the Hanoi Old Quarter.
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Tour relate:
- Bai Dinh -Trang An 1 day trip
- Hoa Lư - Tam Coc 1 day tour.