Thăng Long Imperial Citadel – preserving traditional culture in a heritage space of spring
On the occasion of the New Year 2019 and in celebration of the 89th anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Thăng Long- HàNội Heritage Conservation Centre works with various organizations and craft villages to organize a number of exhibitions and traditional cultural activities on the premises of the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel to serve the public and visitors.
With this year’s message of making “Thăng Long Imperial Citadel the destination of the 2019 Spring”, the Thăng Long – HàNộiHeritage Conservation Centre has introduced to the public a colorful cultural mosaic in a heritage-specific space of spring ambience, giving visitors interesting experience and feeling of the unique customs and mores that characterize the Vietnamese people’s celebration of the New Year.
Peach blossom in full bloom in front of the ancient-looking ĐoanMôn (Main Gate)
During the Tết holiday,Thăng Long Imperial Citadel seems to have a completely new coat put on it. The space around the KínhThiênPalace Foundation is splendidly decorated with banners, colors, and parasols in a traditional manner redolent of the beauty of ancient palaces. The first flower square has been arranged and opened in front of the Main Gate ĐoanMônunder the theme “The convergence of spring flowers in Thăng Long”. There is a harmonious link between the square and the miraculous pinwheel garden and the blossom of peach and sunflowers in full bloom.
The colorful garden of pinwheels redolent of childhood memories and souvenirs
An exhibition space reminiscing about Tết in the old days, themed “Fragrance of Spring”is also established in the Reception Building at 19C HoàngDiệuwith many animated images like welcoming the dragons on spring days, asking for calligraphy characters, and playing with parallel couplets. That is not to mention the demonstration of the distillation of flower-scented wine presented to the royal court, the making of folk paintings for Tết, a stall displaying commodities of the ‘subsidized Tết’ and the Origamiart of foldingzodiac animals.The highlight of the exhibition is the enjoyment of new year’s beverage and confectionery and the demonstration of flower-scented wine making process. The fragrance and taste of Tếtcould be more clearly felt with the presence of the meticulously distilled wine and tapiocacookies, a special kind of cake that once found its way into the court to be tasted by kings and lords.
Documentary photo about making flower-scented wine, a specialty offered to the kings in feudal Vietnam.
Visitors will also have a chance to experience the festive atmosphere of the holy, glorious spring days of Hanoi, the land of millennial history. They will learn how the Vietnamese people see off the old year and the usher in the new one through many traditional cultural practices that have been restored such as the erection of the New Year’s Tree (câyNêu), the worshipping of Kitchen Gods, the release of carps, the ablution of votive objects, the new year’s offering of incense.
Visitors fascinated with the erection of New Year’s Tree(câynêu) together with many traditional processes re-created every spring at Thăng Long Imperial Citadel.
Especially noteworthy is the opportunity for kids to experience a Tết marketplace and explore traditional Tết by taking part in folk games, writing calligraphy, making Tết flowers and making paintings from colorful pieces of fabrics as well as enjoying original water puppet performances.
Kids get to experience various interesting folk games and activities such as the making of rice figurines and papered flowers among others.
Detail schedule of activities:
- Kitchen God Ceremony and erection of New Year’s Tree (câyNêu) (26 January 2019).
- Water puppet shows (7,8, 9,10 February 2019 at 10:00 and 15:00).
- Activities for children (From 7 February 2019 to 10 February 2019 and 16 February 2019 to 17 February 2019).
- New Year’s incense offering ceremony (13 February 2018).
Visiting time: from 8h00 to 17h00
Thăng Long Imperial Citadel is closed on 3, 4, 5 February 2019.Visitorscan still offer incense and jossticks.
The Site is open again to public from 6 February 2018.
To book a visit, please contact: 04.3.7345427
Website: hoangthanhthanglong.vn
Please download the Thăng LongImperial Citadel interpretation app on CH Play and App Store.
THĂNG LONG -HÀ NỘI HERITAGE CONSERVATION CENTRE
