Bảo tàng lịch sử Quốc gia

Kim Lan is a commune of the left bank of the Red River, bolonging to the district of Gia Lam, suburb of Hanoi. From the center of Hanoi, one can arrive at Kim Lan by the road or by the river through the port of bark of Thuy Linh.

After the tradition, Kim Lan is a land with a long history linked to events and persons from the time of the kings Hung. According to the notice engraved on the bell of the pagoda of Kim Lan, at the beginning of the XVIII^th century, Kim Lan is already a commune, which was changed at the beginning of the XIX^th century to Kim Quan, belonging to the canton of Dong Du, huyen of Gia Lam, phu of Thuan An, province of Kinh Bac, to return afterward to the name of Kim Lan in the middle of the XIX^th century. From the beginning of the XX^th century till now, Kim Lan has undergone several changes of administrative frontier and belonged sometimes to Bac Ninh, sometimes to Hanoi. Now, Kim Lan is a unity of the commune rank, comprising 16 hamlets: Va, Du, Dinh, Chua, Trien, Ma Cuoi, Cho, Ben, Dia, Be, Cai Ngang, Hau, Go Dinh, Bong, Dau Cong, among which Va and Du have disappeared as a consequence of changes in the stream of the Red River.

In this process of stream changes, since the end of 2000, Kim Lan is known by archaeologists with vestiges and remains of ancient instruments, material traces of residence and of production of ceramics under the Tran. Aware of the value of the site in the study of handicraft villages in general and of the production of ceramics in particular, several researches have been organized; particularly at the beginning of 2003, the National Museum of Vietnamese History and the Service of Culture and Information have undertaken an urgent excavation of the site Kim Lan.

The exploration of the site shows that the site Kim Lan is distributed on smooth slopes of the bank of the Red River, and is completely inundated in the season of rain. The strongest concentration is found in the sector of Ben Dinh of the hamlet Chua (hamlet 2, thon of Thong Nhat, commune of Kim Lan). In this sector, the discovered vestiges are very rich, comprising materials of construction, architectural decorations, bronze currency and overall, ceramics. The ceramics date from the time of Duong (VII-X^th centuries) until the time of the Le (XVII-XVIII^th centuries) with a maximum of concentration for the ceramics of the Tran.

The excavation in 4 pits, with a total area of nearly 200m², has discovered nearly complete cultural layers at a depth of 40-60cm.

- The first cultural layer, from 35 to 40cm of depth, sandy earth black grey mixed with charcoal, containing specimens of ceramics from IX-X^th centuries. The ceramics have characteristics, materials and types analogous to those of the site Duong Xa (Bac Ninh). Though the material vestiges discovered have a rather modest space of repartition in the layers 4 and 5 of the pits, they have a great meaning. They are the unique vestiges reflecting the residence in the IX-X^th centuries that have been reported by annals and popular tradition, and that give us information on the process of formation of Kim Lan in particular and of the region in general.

- The cultural layer of the Tran with sandy clay, dark brown and grey black, of 60cm to 120cm of depth, mixed with ashes of charcoal. In the layer, one has discovered a great quantity of vestiges consisting of materials of construction, ceramics and earthenware, bronze currency, wedging pieces, covering vases, crude enamelled ceramics, waste ceramics, morsels of material for enamel, kitchen pillars and handles of knives of decorated copper… It is to be noticed that this layer is rather stable; it is a rather intact cultural layer reflecting life under the Tran. According to the date of vestiges, the date of the site is about XIII-XIV^th centuries.

- Besides, one has discovered fortified column pedestals, formed with material;s of construction (tiles) and covering vases well packed, of 60cm of diameter and 25cm of thickness. The mode of fortification and the used material suggest that this is a vestige of the architecture of the Tran. Unfortunately, the damages suffered by the site prevent us from determining its extent and from solving problems relative to this architectural site.

Thus, the discovery of the cultural layers dating from X to XIV^th century has shown part of the physionomy of a residence site, with very rich material vestiges, particularly vestiges of the production of ceramics on place such as: covering vases, wedging pieces, waste, morsels of enamel, ceramics clay… which help to study the history of this land, particularly the history of the ceramics production which attracts the interest of researchers, Kim Lan being situated near Bat Trang, a very renowned center of ceramics production. The discovery of traces of residence and of ceramics production from the X^th century, particularly under the Tran shows that Kim Lan and Bat Trang, during their existence have been perhaps one administrative unity or at least one region of handicraft villages. In fact only since 1950, this region was divided in two lands by the system Bac Hung Hai. It is supposed that the ancient village of Bat Trang was large enough and comprises one part of Kim Lan which is contiguous to the Red River. If this hypothesis is confirmed, the results of the archaeological research will provide us with new informations on the ancient village Bat Trang which the annals have spoken of, and show the extent of repartition of handicraft villages of the suburb of the ancient Thang Long – Hanoi.

Nguyen Van Doan