The north-central province of Thanh Hoa hosted a colorful ceremony to receive the prestigious UNESCO Certificate over the weekend, recognizing Ho Dynasty Citadel as a World Cultural Heritage Site. The ceremony attracted thousands of visitors, reports VnExpress.
Thanh Hoa celebrates UNESCO site Ho Dynasty Citadel
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| One of the walls of the Ho Dynasty Citadel in Thanh Hoa Province - Photo: Khue Viet Truong |
The north-central province of Thanh Hoa hosted a colorful ceremony to receive the prestigious UNESCO Certificate over the weekend, recognizing Ho Dynasty Citadel as a World Cultural Heritage Site. The ceremony attracted thousands of visitors, reports VnExpress.
Among those who attended were Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung and representatives from provinces and cities across the country.
At the ceremony, Hung said that it was a matter of great pride and happiness for not just residents of Thanh Hoa Province but also for the entire nation to see the Ho Dynasty Citadel being recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Site.
“UNESCO’s recognition provides an opportunity as well as a responsibility for Vietnam to preserve and promote this great historical heritage site,” he added.
Built in 1397, with four gates facing south, north, east and west, the Citadel of the Ho Dynasty is a stone military architecture with great cultural and historical value. It was the capital of Vietnam from 1397 to 1407 and is located in Vinh Long and Vinh Tien communes, Vinh Loc District.
The citadel includes three sections: La Thanh and bamboo hedge; moat and citadel wall; and an internal area with a number of palaces connected to one another by marble-paved roads. Outside the citadel there is Bao Thanh (Ly Cung) palace, which is known as the altar of the sky and the earth.
The citadel was built using huge square stone stabs. They overlap each other without being bounded without any materials and have stood erect since their creation.
The site has been excavated since 2004. Archeologists have found out many artifacts made from baked bricks, stone marbles, tiles shaped like dragons, stone bullets, arrows and nails and household pottery inside the citadel.