Ho Dynasty Citadel
Also known as Tay Do (Capital of the West) or Thanh Nha Ho (Ho Dynasty Citadel), the Ho Dynasty Citadel is located in Tay Giai village in Hoa Binh Province, approximately 150 kilometers west of Hanoi. It was built in 1397 under the rule of Ho Quy Ly. Unlike other Vietnamese citadels, which up until that time had been built of earth, the Ho Dynasty Citadel was made of green block granite. The citadel's shape was square, with walls of 500 meters on each side. The walls were approximately five meters high and three meters thick. On each wall was a stone entrance, and the citadel itself was protected by deep ditches along each of its walls. The citadel did not serve a uniquely military purpose, however, for inside the enclosure the royal palace could be found. For ten years, the Ho Dynasty Citadel served as the seat of the Ho Dynasty's central government. In 1407, the citadel was abandoned and destroyed when Ho Quy Ly was captured and taken prisoner by Ming troops. The only vestiges remaining of the Ho Dynasty Citadel are its south wall and gate, and two carved stone dragons that formerly had been part of the royal palace's structure.
Further Reading
Taylor, Keith W. (1991) "The Birth of Vietnam." Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
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