Signs “Chinh Dong mon” and “Tay Nam mon”, 19th century AD., Nguyen dynasty.
These are two of the five signs from the five gates of the Hanoi ancient citadel, positioned according to the five directions North, East, West, Southeast and Southwest. The gates were constructed in gazebo architectural style, which had a floor on the upper part and a trapezoid-shaped citadel on the lower part. The gates were mainly made of stone and brick and were firmly built. The gates to the East or the Southwest were in arch shapes. Signs attached to their top parts were carved in relief with Chinese characters which say “Chinh Dong Mon” (Main East Gate) or “Tay Nam mon” (Southwest Gate). Today, at the Hanoi ancient citadel, only the North gate still exists and the sign says “Chinh Bac Mon” (Main North Gate).
Main East Gate
Southwest Gate