Explore the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh

Hoa Lu ancient capital is a tourist destination that cannot be missed when arriving in the colorful land of Ninh Binh. As the name suggests, Hoa Lu Ancient Capital was once the capital of Vietnam in the years after the Northern Colonial period. This place brings ancient historical stories, leaving lasting feelings in the hearts of every Vietnamese person.

History of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Ninh Binh

Hoa Lu ancient capital is associated with the Dinh dynasty and the hero in national history: King Dinh Tien Hoang. The existence of the Dinh dynasty took place in the 10th century - an important milestone in Vietnamese history. The reason is because this is a pivotal century, closing the period of more than 1,000 years of Northern domination and opening a period of independence and autonomy for Vietnam against the Northern powers.
The Dinh Dynasty is known as the first centralized feudal state in Vietnamese history and its head is King Dinh Tien Hoang. From a leader of a group of buffalo herding children who used reed flags to practice combat, Dinh Bo Linh expanded his power, choosing Hoa Lu - his hometown as the capital of Dai Co Viet in 968 (Today belongs to Hoa Lu district, Gia Vien and part of Ninh Binh city). Perhaps when he built Hoa Lu citadel, perhaps King Dinh Tien Hoang had no idea that one day in the future, this place would become a special national monument and mark the birth of three dynasties. dynasties include Dinh, Early Le and Ly.
The greatness of King Dinh Tien Hoang lies in the fact that he built a centralized feudal state and definitely refused to be king of a vassal state, dependent on the North. After the fall of the Dinh Dynasty, Hoa Lu capital continued to serve as the "heart" of the Early Le and Ly dynasties before King Ly Cong Uan decided to move the capital to Dai La citadel (present-day Hanoi).

Relics in Hoa Lu ancient capital

The ancient Hoa Lu citadel consisted of two citadels located next to each other and an adjacent mountain area. The three rings form a shape resembling the number 80 facing east. According to the layout of the Dinh Le Dynasty, researchers divided the citadel into 3 circles: East citadel, West citadel and South citadel. However, because the Southern citadel is located in a dangerous military base area, with defenses behind it, it is often given a special name by people, Trang An. The other two citadels are where the palace is located, so it is also called Hoa Lu. Surely everyone of us knows that in 1010, King Ly Thai To moved the capital to Thang Long, Hoa Lu was only called the Ancient Capital. was an important military base of the Dai Viet army and people under the Ly - Tran - Le - Mac - Tay Son dynasties.

During more than 42 years of existence and role as the capital, Hoa Lu has left many golden marks on the nation. First, we must talk about an ancient citadel with an important position and functions: military and defense. At that time, Hoa Lu citadel was located in the center of the country: Northwest, Red River Delta and North Central region. This has the consequence that when attacking, you can go North or South, both convenient for waterways and roads. When defending, we will take advantage of the high mountains and Hoang Long River as a natural moat. The reason why King Dinh Tien Hoang chose Hoa Lu as his capital was because at that time, the water force was still weak, so the construction of the capital had to be based on the ability to withstand invasions by foreign enemies.

It can be said that Hoa Lu Citadel is a creation of the people of Dai Co Viet country when they took advantage of the rugged natural terrain, Hoa Lu mountains and forests to make walls surrounding the valleys and connected by bridges. The ramparts were built with bricks to create a closed space, not giving the enemy a chance to attack inside.

Today, although the vestiges of the ferry have been somewhat destroyed by time and war, archaeologists can still find the connecting parts of those wall sections with a height of about 8-10m, built of 45cm thick bricks. Currently, there are not too many traces left of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, but instead, when tourists visit this tourist destination, they will have the opportunity to visit and admire two temples: King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Dinh Tien Hoang. King Le Dai Hanh - King Dinh Temple - King Le for short.
The ancient capital of Hoa Lu today is no longer intact, but the majestic temples of King Dinh and King Le were only built in imitation of the ancient capital of Hoa Lu. Although the architecture in the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital complex has a very distinct character, it still contains the same vestiges of time. All create an ancient and heroic beauty of the nation.

This place is an architectural complex, each with its own unique features, all creating the ancient and heroic look of ancient historical relics. Historical traces still remain in the diverse and rich relic complex, including imperial city wall architecture, caves, temples, tombs and many other architectural works of high cultural value. .
The ancient capital of Hoa Lu has a few differences as this place has many cultural and historical values, so it has a bold festive tone. Therefore, it can be said that the most suitable time to travel to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is probably spring. From January to March of the lunar calendar, the weather will be pleasant, with a bit of sunshine and the lingering chill of spring, and plants and trees will sprout, creating an atmosphere of harmony between heaven and earth. In particular, spring is also the time when the festive atmosphere permeates the land of Hoa Lu ancient capital, recreating the lifestyle of the people, recreating history and everlasting cultural values.
The Hoa Lu Ancient Capital Cultural and Historical Relic Area includes a special protected buffer zone and the relics of Thien Ton Cave and Bai Dinh Pagoda, all located in the limestone mountain system in Ninh Binh province, belonging to Truong commune. Yen, Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh province, bordering two districts, Gia Vien and Hoa Lu. This place is about 100 km south of Hanoi capital. Coming to Hoa Lu ancient capital, don't forget to visit places such as Bai Dinh pagoda, Trang An, Tam Coc - Bich Dong, Mua cave,... and many tourist destinations in Ninh Binh