Bảo tàng lịch sử Quốc gia

On November 2003, The National Museum of Vietnamese History cooperated with The Culture and Information Depatment of Hanoi city to carried on an archaeological exploration at the Ung Thanh citadel and Doai Mon (Western Gate of Dai La citadel) with square 100m² belong to the Cong Vi commune, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi city nowaday. Allthough passing a lot of natural changes as well as effects from citifying by human, the relic of Ung Thanh citadel is still preserved intact in its original form. There were recently some opinions maintained that: this is not a relic of any citadel or architecture but only a brickkiln in the years 60 of 20^th century. However, with results of exploration that carried out by The National Museum of Vietnamese History in the years 2002, 2003 showed the Ung Thanh citadel had been existent and located at side of To Lich river - a river runs surround the Dai La citadel (Hanoi city now) in the South East.

In order to define scale, plan of the Ung Thanh citadel as well as make more clear its history of construction and change, the archaeologist group carried on explorating at diffirent sectors of the Ung Thanh citadel such as: South, West and North.

1. The Southern sector (is a hillock, near the Buoi street now)

The archaeologists carried on excavating 4 explored holes at 4 diffirent positions.

- The first hole: Results of this excavation from the first hole in the East of the hillock with square 8m². Base on the recovered stratums showed the height of the Ung Thanh citadel is 5.95m with 3 consolidated layers. However, the Ung Thanh citadel was built in 2 stages: the built stage and rebuilt stage. In the first stage (the built stage) dated in the middle 18^th century, it was consolidated by a layer of brocken bricks and tiles mixed with clay. Later (the second stage), it was repaired and rebuilt by bricks with stuco in the late 19^th - early 20^th century.

Apart from being a citadel, it has been also a settlement of Dai Viet residents from the Later Ly dynasty (11^th - 13^th century) to the Early Le dynasty (15^th century). The deepest layer of this hole is blacksand which demonstrated that: originally, this is a sandbank of the To Lich river (South of Hanoi city now)

- The second hole: in the North of the hillock with square 17m²: The archaeologists defined the border and consolidation of the Ung Thanh outer citadel with the width 10m surface and 17m foot. And its outside was also consolidated by brocken bricks mixed clay.

- The third hole: in the East of the hillock with square 36m². The cultural layers showed the citadel inside was also consolidated by brocken bricks mixed clay. The archaeologists didn't find any vestiges of citadel at the head of this hillock, it may be the entrance gate of the Ung Thanh citadel.

- The fourth hole: continued from the third hole with square 18m². There is no any vestiges of citadel in this hole, that's why the archaeologists defined this is the entrance gate of the Ung Thanh citadel and foundation of road with width approximate 12m was consolidated by materials that resemble the first hole.

2. The West sector: is a hillock, near the To Lich river now.

The archaeologists recovered a hole with square 10.6m². Although the West part was changed by dredging the To Lich river many times, it still showed that this is a part of the Ung Thanh citadel with consolidated layers left such as: brocken bricks, stuco, sand and other building materials.

3. The North sector: is a hillock, near the To Lich river now with square 10,7m²

The archaeologists discovered a lot of consolidated materials resemble ones discovered at the 1,2,3 holes, that's why it is certainly the outer consolidated layer of the Ung Thanh citadel.

Some conclusions and proposals

1. Conclusions

Explorating and excavating at 3 sectors with square 100m² during 1 month, although there are also a lot of limitations of this excavation, it brought the valuable contributions to our awaress of the Ung Thanh citadel - a typical and unique type of Vietnamese architecture.

Through the layers of substaintial consolidation were built by human, we can affirmed that this is the traditional consolidated layers of all citadels that used in constructing a lot of architectures of Vietnam for a long time such as: Co Loa citadel (3^th century), foudation of collumns of Bao An pagoda (15^th century), foundation of Bac Khuyet Dai of Hue royal citadel (19^th - 20^th century). With the results of these archaeological exploration and excavation, the archaeologists defined that this is a rectangle small citadel with length 54m, width 52m located along the Buoi street now. In order to entrance to the West Gate and pass the Ung Thanh citadel that its road recovered at the fourth hole with width 12m.

The Ung Thanh citadel (boot citadel) or Ung Mon (boot gate) is an architectural type that originated from China, dated circe thousands years before present. This architectural type was influenced from China by the Chinese invaders who came to Vietnam and built a lot of citadels or other architectures in the first centuries. And one of these architectural types was built earlest in the year 866 when Cao Bien - a Chinese geomancer - ordered to rebuilt the Dai La citadel. This historical event was written in Vietnamese historical book. That's why, the Ung Thanh citadel must be constructed earlier, circa 9^th century. However, this explored results showed the Ung Thanh citadel is only dated circa 18^th century when the Trinh Doanh Lord ordered to reconstruct the Dai Do citadel (other name of La Thanh or Dai La citadel) in 1749. And it also repaired and restored some times in later 19^th - early 20^th century.

2. Proposals

A lot of vestiges and consolidated materials were found. They are evidences demonstrated the existent of the Ung Thanh citadel. However, how is its scale and plan? We also have to continue studying and carrying on the next excavations.

According to the opinions from The Conference of reporting the archaeological results of the Ung Thanh citadel relic hold on 16 December 2003, the archaeologist group who represented the proffesional institutions proposed to The Culture and Information Depatment of Hanoi city permit them to continue studying the Ung thanh citadel. In addition, base on the results of already excavated holes, they (the arcaeologists of The National Museum of Vietnamese History) will continue exploring and excavating 5 sectors more in the South, West, North, East and Centre of the Ung Thanh citadel. Particularly, defining the position of the Ung Thanh citadel as well as the West Gate will also play an important part in the Aniversary of 1000 year Thang Long - Hanoi capital in 2010.

Nguyen Van Doan