Ha Noi

"...thành Đại La ở giữa khu vực trời đất, được thế rồng cuộn hổ ngồi, chính giữa Nam Bắc Đông Tây, tiện nghi núi sông sau trước. Vùng này mặt đất rộng mà bằng phẳng, thế đất cao mà sáng sủa, dân cư không khổ cảnh thấp trũng tối tăm, muôn vật hết sức tươi tốt phồn thịnh. Xem khắp nước Việt đó là nơi thắng địa, thực là chỗ tụ hội quan yếu của bốn phương, đúng là nơi thượng đô kinh sư mãi muôn đời..." (Chiếu dời đô, 1010)

Hanoi will celebrate its 1000th anniversary as the capital of the nation in 2010. Historically, Hanoi have been playing the role as the political and administrative center of the country since about 200 B.C when King Thục Phán (An Dương Vương) first built his capital citadel in Co Loa, now on the outskirts of Hanoi. "Cổ Loa" or "Loa Thành" means the Spiral Citadel. That was a 3-wall citadel with a spiral form. The citadel, as well as the typical 3-edge bronze arrows are the main elements to defend the kingdom. The ruins of this era could be found now in Co Loa region.

After King An Dương Vương's defeat, Âu Lạc (the name of the kingdom at that time) was annexed as a Chinese province. During about 1000 years under the rule of the Northern power, Hanoi was always the administrative center of the land with several names: Long Biên, Tống Bình, Đại La. In 938, King Ngô Quyền, the founder of independence of the kingdom, set up his capital in Co Loa to reaffirm the nation's spirit.

In 1010, King Lý Thái Tổ, the first king of Ly dynasty, realized the strategic position of the region and then chose the land as the capital. In his historical decree, he wrote: " Dai La is the land in the center, the land of potential as dragon and tiger. That is the high, flat, fertile and prosperous land. In the kingdom, this land is the best place to be the eternal capital of the country". The land was then named Thăng Long (Soaring Dragon) after the legend that when the king's boat came to the land, a golden dragon appeared and flied into the sky.

As the hope of the great king, the land has become the capital of the country forever (except the period of Nguyen dynasty, when the capital was shifted to Hue. But Hanoi remained the capital of the northern part of the kingdom).

"Đây Hồ Gươm, Hồng Hà, Hồ Tây. Đây lắng hồn núi sông ngàn năm. Đây Thăng Long, đây Đông Đô, đây Hà Nội, Hà Nội mến yêu..." (Người Hà Nội, Nguyễn Đình Thi)

"Dù có đi bốn phương trời - Lòng vẫn nhớ về Hà Nội" - Nhớ về Hà Nội (Hoàng Hiệp)

"Wherever one goes, Hanoi is always in his soul" - Towards Hanoi (Music by Hoang Hiep)

H i g h l i g h t s
T e m p l e o f L i t e r a t u r e


S w o r d L a k e


E m p e r o r Q u a n g T r u n g a n d D o n g D a K n o l l

U n c l e H o ' s M a u s o l e u m - H o u s e a n d P r e s i d e n t i a l P a l a c e



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H a n o i , 1 9 t h c e n t u r y





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