Structure of Thang Long Capital City and Location of Forbidden City Over Historical Periods
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Structure of Thang Long Capital City and Location of Forbidden City over Historical Periods Phan Huy Le1 1 Vietnam Association of Historical Science. Email: [email protected] Received: 22 September 2016 Accepted: 28 September 2016 Abstract: In the paper, the author provides supplementary information to the issues of the structure of the Thang Long capital city with its changes through historical periods. The citadel, with its three enclosed citadels/ramparts, witnessed ups and downs from the Ly dynasty (1009- 1226) to the Restored Le dynasty (1593 - 1789). The outer citadel was called “Dai La” or “La” citadel, the middle citadel was called “Long” (Dragon), or “Phuong” (Phoenix) citadel during the Ly and Tran dynasties, “Imperial Citadel” under the Le dynasty, and the inner citadel had the name of “Cam” (Forbidden) or “Cung” (Palace) citadel. According to historical and archaeological data, the archaeological site unearthed at No. 18, Hoang Dieu Street is located in proximity to the centre of the Forbidden Citadel. It is highly significant that the Forbidden Citadel of the Le dynasty was located nearly in the same position as the one of the Ly and Tran periods. As a result, many architectural relics and artefacts with typical features of the imperial palaces of the capital of Thang Long from 1010 to 1788 were found at the archaeological site and the location of the ancient Hanoi citadel. Keywords: Thang Long, capital city, Imperial Citadel, Forbidden City, Kinh Thien. 1. Structure of Thang Long capital city on the structure of the Imperial Citadel (Hoàng thành) of Thang Long, focusing on Thang Long Forbidden City (Cấm I had an opportunity to present research thành) and its changes over historical findings on the structure of Thang Long periods. While mentioning, to a necessary (Vietnamese: Thăng Long) capital city and extent, some architectural works inside the Hanoi citadel, contributing to the Forbidden City, I will neither make a determination of the location of the Thang detailed description of the architecture and Long Imperial Citadel archaeological composition of royal courts, nor study the vestige site at No. 18, Hoang Dieu St. [11, political, social and architectural relations pp.31-56; 12, pp.757-810]. In this monograph, between the Forbidden City and the outside, I would like to deliver some additional points though there were various structural and 33 Vietnam Social Sciences, No. 1 (177) - 2017 historical relations between them. Instead, defend the entire court and people inside my goal is to continue affirming that the the imperial citadel. In 1014, the Ly vestige site of Thang Long Imperial Citadel dynasty “built rammed earth walls along all and Hanoi citadel are located inside the the four sides of the imperial citadel” [34, central area of Thang Long Forbidden City II-7a, Vol. 1, p.244]. It was the first time over historical periods. the citadel was built, followed by a number Soon after setting up the capital in Thang of repairs afterwards. In 1078, it was Long, the Ly dynasty (1009-1226) carried repaired and named Dai La (Đại La). out construction of the new capital, building Generally speaking, the citadel was built palaces, castles and citadel walls. Under the along Nhi River in the east (i.e. the Red dynasty, the “triple-citadel structure” was River, or sông Hồng; written in Chinese as clearly shaped. In history, Co Loa citadel 珥, it should have been pronounced as Nhĩ, rd built by King An Duong Vuong in the 3 - but in reality commonly pronounced as nd 2 centuries BC also had the same triple- Nhị), To Lich River in the north and west, citadel structure, comprising three areas and Kim Nguu River in the south. The named by local people as the innermost citadel was surrounded by rivers along all citadel, the middle citadel, and the the four sides, forming “a river rectangle” outermost citadel. As for Thang Long that played the role of a water transport citadel, the triple-citadel structure was system, drainage, and a natural moat. In maintained from the Ly dynasty to the addition to the function of protecting the Restored Le (or Later Le dynasty warlord, citadel, the citadel wall was also used as the Vietnamese: Lê trung hưng) period (1593- dyke for flood prevention. However, the 1789), but some changes were also made rivers changed due to the erosion and over the periods. In general, the outermost extension of deposits as well as impacts of citadel was named Dai La or La Thanh; the the natural conditions. Because of the middle one was named Long thành (Dragon movement and changes in Nhi River, the citadel), Phượng thành (Phoenix citadel) or eastern part of the citadel varied Long Phượng thành (Dragon-Phoenix considerably over historical periods, citadel) under the Ly and Tran dynasties, moving gradually towards the east. From and Hoàng thành (Imperial Citadel) under the Ly dynasty to the Later Le dynasty early the Le dynasty; and, the innermost citadel period (Lê sơ), the eastern part of Dai La was named Cấm thành (Forbidden City) or citadel was located further to the west, Cung thành (Royal palace citadel). compared to the dyke we can see at present. It was probably located in the place of the 1.1. The outermost citadel named Dai La or current Hoan Kiem Lake (the Sword Lake), La Thanh which used to be a tributary of Nhi River. The locations of two important ports in Dai As regards this citadel, research-based La citadel, including the East port/quay (or opinions basically do not much differ. It is a Dong Bo Dau port, located between what is citadel surrounding the imperial city, which now Hoe Nhai slope and Long Bien bridge) can be seen as the outermost ramparts to and Giang Khau gate (now the area of Cho 34 Phan Huy Le Gao and Nguyen Sieu streets), also changed Van Xuan gate (in Ong Mac – Vietnamese: till the 18th century. To Lich River was Ông Mạc, or Dong Mac – Vietnamese: connected with the West Lake in the north Đống Mác). via Ho Khau gate and with Nhi River via In the late 16th century, from the Mac Giang Khau gate. In Hồng Đức bản đồ dynasty (1527-1592) to the beginning of the (Hong Duc map collection) as well as other Restored Le dynasty (1593-1789), Dai La maps in the Le and Nguyen dynasties, the citadel experienced some significant changes. river was drawn very clearly. In the early During the Le – Mac civil war, in 1588 the 19th century, the Nguyen dynasty started Mac rulers “commanded the local troops in building the Vauban-styled fortification that four trấn (regions) to entrench three sets of adopted the name of Hanoi citadel in 1831. ramparts outside Dai La citadel in Thang At that time, To Lich River was connected Long, from Nhat Chieu ward across the West Lake, Dua bridge, and Den bridge with the northwest moat of Hanoi citadel, (Vietnamese: Cầu Dền) to Thanh Tri district, before joining Nhi River in Giang Khau; reaching the north of Nhi River. The ramparts i.e. the current location of Nguyen Sieu and were some scores of “trượng” (Chinese: Cho Gao streets. From 1895 to 1897, the zhang, each trượng was equivalent to 4m French colonial government destroyed during the Later Le dynasty) higher than Hanoi citadel, filling in the moats and part Thang Long citadel; they were 25 trượng of To Lich River from Thuy Khue to Giang (100m) wide, comprising three moats; Khau. Consequently, part of To Lich River bamboos were also planted tens of miles long running from Buoi (Vietnamese: Bưởi) surrounding the citadel”, aiming at through Ho Khau to the current Tam Da strengthening the defensive system of the slope became a small ditch. Previously, the imperial citadel [34, XVII-18b, Vol. 3, west part of To Lich River joined Thien p.164]. As a result, three defensive ramparts Phu River to get more water from Nhi River were built outside Dai La citadel, near Buoi junction, so it had a relatively of which the innermost was almost connected great flow and a quite strong current. As with Dai La citadel and the outermost one time went by, the river was gradually filled covered the West Lake. During fierce battles with deposits. Although embankments were in the capital city in 1592, the Trinh Lord’s built along the river lately, it is seriously troops “destroyed completely several thousand trượng of the rammed earth citadel, polluted due to the lack of a current. In the chopping down all the defensive trees, filling south, at the same time, Kim Nguu River in the moats and ditches, and levelling out the was completely filled during the ramparts” for a few days, following the order improvement of Yen So drainage system. given by the lord [34, XVII-29b, Vol. 3, Under the Ly and Tran dynasties, Dai La p.173]. Then, Dai La citadel disappeared citadel had some entrances, including Trieu almost completely; and Thang Long capital Dong or Dong Bo Dau gate (somewhere city has, ever since, consisted of two citadels: between Hoe Nhai slope and the river), Tay the Imperial Citadel and the Forbidden City. Duong gate (in Cau Giay), Truong Quang It was a big change in the structure of the gate (in Cho Dua), Cua Nam (Vietnamese: capital city late of the Mac dynasty and early Cửa Nam, or South Gate - in Cau Den), and in the period of the Restored Le dynasty. 35 Vietnam Social Sciences, No. 1 (177) - 2017 In the time of the Restored Le dynasty, the cương mục (Imperially Ordered Annotated power system also changed significantly.