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Hanoi has so far concealed a secret: the
Forbidden Citadel, the heart of the former dynasties. In reality, the citadel
still stands there, but not all people can imagine how it looked.
It was the general headquarters of Vietnam in the war of resistance against US
imperialism for national salvation, where historic commands of vital
significance were dispatched. In the last year of the century, Nguyen Tri Phuong
Road was opened up to visitors and that helps them visualize the former Citadel
area. Hanoi represents a land with ancient sublimity throughout several
dynasties. The Ly Dynasty reigned for more than 200 years (1010-1225), leaving
an orderly and classical architecture. The Tran Dynasty (1225-1400) built
hundreds of royal palaces and monuments, temples and residences, elegant and
luxurious. During the wars against the Mongols, the ancient capital was severely
devastated. The Tran made every effort to rebuild Thang Long. Then came the
Champas who set the city ablaze. During the Ming's domination (1414-1427), the
heritage left was found to be scant. Only after King Le Thai To assumed the
throne (1428-1433), restoring the capital and renaming it as Dong Kinh, could it
redeem the glory of a capital city. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Thang Long
was fairly bustling and prosperous. In the late 19th century, the Tay Son
Dynasty (1789-1802) changed its name to Bac Thanh. In 1831, King Minh Mang
(1820-1840) called it Hanoi. The soils of Hanoi nowadays still bear the traces
of virtually all the major historic dynasties. King Ly Thai To (1010-1028) - who
founded the capital of Thang Long in 1010 had the "Dien Can Nguyen" built
(later, it bore the names of Thien An and Phung Thien). Under the Tran, it was
the rendezvous of the landmark Dien Hong National Conference. King Le Thai To
(1428-1433) ordered the construction of the Kinh Thien Palace as a hall for the
convening of the court. In 1802, King Gia Long mounted the throne as Emperor,
ordering the removal of the old royal citadel of the Le Dynasty and construction
of a new, smaller one, with an area of 1 sq.km, of Vauban style. The square
citadel with a zigzag borderline could provide an advantage to observe and shoot
in any direction. With a perimeter of 5, 142 meters and a surrounding wall 4.6
meters high and 16 meters wide, the citadel was built of bricks, with rock and
laetrile underlying the foundations and a wooden cross - section on top with
stairs for easy access for sentry patrols. Deep moats, 15-16 meters wide, are
found outside the walls, with 5 gates: the North, South, East, West and
Southwest. On each gate, there were watch-towers.
All the major structures inside the citadel are in line with the South-North
axis, whose relics now include the Flag Tower, the Doan Mon Gate, the Kinh Thien
Palace, and the North Gate. The Flag Tower was built in 1812 and is a hexagonal
tower, more than 41m high, with stairs inside leading to the top. It stands on a
large pyramid-shaped, trinity square pedestal, with the upper side measuring 15
meters and the base one, 42 meters. The middle pedestal layer has 3 doors: the "
Nghenh Huc"(for early sunshine) facing East, the "Huong Minh" (towards the
sunlight) facing South, and the "Hoi Quang" (reflecting the sunlight) facing
North. All the feudal palaces and monuments face South, hence the name of "Doan
Mon" of the Southern gate of the Forbidden Citadel. The "Doan Mon" stands
between the two side doors, the "Eastern Trang An" and the "Western Trang An".
All these monuments in disrepair are being reconstructed or restored in
accordance to their original design, with traditional materials: "lim" iron wood
from the provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Ha Tinh, rock and lime, paper and
lacquer, large-size bricks and tiles from Bat Trang, "slipper-shaped" roofing
and ceramic tiles. The relics of Doan Mon, Bac Mon, and Hau Lau (Princesses'
pavilion) are under restoration. The Kinh Thien Palace is situated in the heart
of the Forbidden Citadel. The palace experienced a large-scale restoration in
1428 to 1465. It was used as a place for sacred ceremonies of the former kings.
In their invasion of Vietnam, the French colonialists ravaged the Forbidden City
and the palace was transformed into a bunker. However, the floor of the palace
today can still help people visualize this historic monument to some extent. The
Kinh Thien Palace was built on a high platform with a surrounding verandah and
large stairs. The palace had two layers of roofing, perched on big iron wood
pillars. The delicate rock engravings of the dragon go well with the large
stairs, 4.45 meters wide and 2.1 meters high. The two extant stone dragons are
symbolic of the great skills of the Vietnamese artisans under the Le Dynasty.
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