{"id":2885,"date":"2015-12-11T10:40:33","date_gmt":"2015-12-11T03:40:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hoangthanhthanglong.vn\/en\/?p=2885"},"modified":"2023-05-26T09:37:26","modified_gmt":"2023-05-26T09:37:26","slug":"thang-long-imperial-citadel-a-layered-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hoangthanhthanglong.vn\/en\/thang-long-imperial-citadel-a-layered-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Th\u0103ng Long Imperial Citadel – A layered history"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 18 Ho\u00e0ng Di\u1ec7u Archaeological Site to the west of the K\u00ednh Thi\u00ean Palace is part and parcel of the Th\u0103ng Long- H\u00e0 N\u1ed9i World Heritage Site.<\/p>\n

Excavated in 2002 over the largest area to date, the site has revealed an exceedingly large volume of artifacts and relics. Apart from the alternating and overlapping architectural remains, there were millions of other objects found in deep under the ground. Of largest number were the construction and ornamental materials and royal utensils that testify to the development of Th\u0103ng Long as the capital city of Great Vi\u1ec7t between the 11th<\/sup> and 18th<\/sup> centuries.<\/p>\n

Traces of each historical period can be found in the Th\u0103ng Long Imperial Citadel, particularly through the immense volume of artifacts. This material evidence bears testimony to the long history of Th\u0103ng Long as a capital city. Let us take a look at the exhibition where some of the most typical artifacts unearthed on the site are on display, so we can have an idea of how skilled and talented the craftspeople of yore were.<\/p>\n

Artifacts of the \u0110\u1ea1i La period found in the site were extremely diverse, indicating that this site was the administrative seat of the Annan Protectorate (An Nam \u0111\u00f4 h\u1ed9 ph\u1ee7) under the Chinese Tang dynasty. They also point to the fact that Th\u0103ng Long Citadel was built on the same ground as the \u0110\u1ea1i La Citadel by the Chinese governor Gao Pian (Cao Bi\u1ec1n). Architectural materials discovered here include the yin-yang (convex and concave) tiles decorated with the faces of sacred animals, clowns and lotuses. Rectangular tiles were mostly dark grey, used to build water channels, water wells, paths or floor enforcements. The most typical tiles were inscribed with the Chinese characters \u201cJiangxi Army\u201d, which was the name of an army under the Chinese Tang dynasty. Square-shaped tiles used for floors were also unearthed. They bear vivid, lively ornamental patterns, such as one featuring a crocodile swimming in the water or lotus reliefs and strings.<\/p>\n

Foreign pottery was relatively diverse, such as celadon lion statuettes produce by the Xicun (T\u00e2y Th\u00f4n) Kiln in Guangdong, China, blue-glazed pottery, white-glazed wine bottles by the Changsha Kiln in Hunnan, China, the Chinese Tang dynasty of the 8th<\/sup> and 9th<\/sup> centuries. Especially noteworthy were the fragments of blue ceramics from Western Asia (Islam).<\/p>\n

By the \u0110inh-Anterior L\u00ea dynasties, although this site was not the national seat of power, traces of the capital city have also been found. The most typical of these findings were the bricks with Chinese inscriptions which read \u201cBricks used in the construction of Vietnamese military citadel\u201d (\u201c\u0110\u1ea1i Vi\u1ec7t qu\u1ed1c qu\u00e2n th\u00e0nh chuy\u00ean\u201d), ridge tiles adorned with mandarin duck statuettes and haloes. Besides ceramics of Chinese origin were the locally produced blue-glazed, the brown-flowered ceramics of the Thanh L\u00e3ng, L\u0169ng H\u00f2a in V\u0129nh Ph\u00fac Province, terracotta of the \u0110\u01b0\u01a1ng X\u00e1 Kiln in B\u1eafc Ninh Province.<\/p>\n

L\u00fd-dynasty artifacts found in Th\u0103ng Long Imperial Citadel are extremely beautiful and delicate, reflecting a high stage of development. Many architectural materials decorated with dragons, phoenixes or reliefs and round statues in the shape of dragon heads, phoenix heads, or mandarin ducks with meticulous and sophisticated patterns give us an idea of how splendid the L\u00fd-dynasty palaces were in Th\u0103ng Long. Square floor tiles were also meticulously decorated with stringed chrysanthemums, peonies and stringed lotuses. Large stone pillar foundations were engraved with lotus petals, indicating the substantial scope of the architectural monuments and buildings.<\/p>\n

L\u00fd-dynasty ceramics were of high quality, including celadon, white-glazed, yellow-glazed, green-glazed and brown-flowered ceramics used in many types of jars, bowls, dishes, basins, lotus-shaped dishes, lidded boxes, etc. Among these were some of the high-quality pottery items fashioned with great detail bearing dragon, lotus, chrysanthemum, good-wish patterns. One original example is the container\u2019s lid of green enamel with a diameter of 18.5 cm featuring a curvy dragon, cloud-shaped gong, good-wish and dotted rim patterns.<\/p>\n

Artifacts of the Tr\u1ea7n dynasty unearthed in the heritage site were also diverse, having inherited from the preceding L\u00fd dynasty. However, there were also elements of novelty such as the lime-flower decoration techniques, lotus-tipped tiles, leaf-tipped tiles, various types of reliefs and round statues with sturdy shapes typical of the free styles of the Tr\u1ea7n era. The daily life inside the Th\u0103ng Long Citadel of the Tr\u1ea7n dynasty was reflected through ample evidence from the royal utensils such as ceramic, metal and terracotta objects, etc. Extremely popular under the Tr\u1ea7n dynasty was the large-sized brown-flowered ceramic with strong and free ornamental features.<\/p>\n

Invaluable metalware like the scimitar inlaid with three precious metals was considered the treasure of the royal palaces while gold jewelry, areca knife, and lime pots reflected the multi-faceted royal life of the time. Brown-flowered terracotta jar decorated with stringed lotuses, brown-flowered basins adorned with birds and lotus pond, brown-flowered loudspeakers decorated with lotus engravings and coiled leaf strings are among the most typical and original artifacts of this period.<\/p>\n

An important discovery that reflected the luxurious life in the Th\u0103ng Long Imperial Citadel of the L\u00ea dynasty had to do with the ceramic collection produced in the Th\u0103ng Long Kiln known for the perfection and sophistication of the paper-thin ceramics and blue-glazed high-quality ceramics decorated with a five-clawed dragon and inscribed with the character \u201cMandarin\u201d or \u201cReverence\u201d, royal utensils. Most noteworthy were the ceramic tubular, dragon-shaped tiles describing dragons with scaled body sloping down the palace roof. This tile was found uniquely in Th\u0103ng Long, and it demonstrated the creativity and originality of the architectural decorative art of the Th\u0103ng Long Imperial Palaces under the Early L\u00ea dynasty. A case in point was the collection of pottery used in Tr\u01b0\u1eddng L\u1ea1c Palace which bore the characters Tr\u01b0\u1eddng L\u1ea1c, Tr\u01b0\u1eddng L\u1ea1c Palace, and Tr\u01b0\u1eddng L\u1ea1c Storehouse.<\/p>\n

Artifacts of the M\u1ea1c dynasty, in spite of their lower diversity than those in the preceding periods, have also been discovered, such as the yin-yang tile used in the roof ridge decorated with dragons, beautiful large-sized, yellow-glazed terracotta parallelepiped bricks decorated with dragons, and luxurious pottery decorated with phoenixes for use by the queens.<\/p>\n

Unlike the M\u1ea1c period, architectural materials of the Restored L\u00ea were extremely diverse, including the likes of bricks, tiles, pillar foundation, steps, and sacred animal statues. Of largest numbers are the bricks and tiles, which were not glazed like in the Early L\u00ea period but were mainly baked from two main types of soil: the red clay and the grey clay. The latter was more popular and resembled the materials of the \u0110\u1ea1i La period in colour. Typical examples include the leaf-tipped tiles whose heads were adorned with good-wish and geometric patterns. Pottery was also rich and diverse, exemplified by the teapot adorned with leaves, blue-glazed bowls bearing classical Chinese poems. An outstanding instance was the white-glazed statue of a woman made in the 17th<\/sup> century under the Restored L\u00ea.<\/p>\n

Unearthed potteries of the Nguy\u1ec5n dynasty were mainly of blue, white-turned-yellow, and brown glaze. Many examples of the well-known B\u00e1t Tr\u00e0ng ceramics have also been found, mostly lidded jars, jugs, lime pots, small cups and large-looped bowls and dishes painted with bamboo branches, bamboo clusters or chrysanthemums.<\/p>\n

The vestiges of the 1300-year history found in the great depth of Th\u0103ng Long – H\u00e0 N\u1ed9i are both of precious and mystic values. And the revelations of the archaeological treasure in Th\u0103ng Long Imperial Citadel have left indelible impression in the minds of the visitors.<\/p>\n

Artifacts found at T<\/strong>h\u0103ng Long<\/strong> Imperial Citadel <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"hoangthanhthanglong-01\"<\/p>\n

Square floor tiles decorated with a crocodile swimming in the waves, \u0110\u1ea1i La Period (8- 9th<\/sup> centuries)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"hoangthanhthanglong-02\"<\/p>\n

White-glazed jars with yellow tint, \u0110\u1ea1i La Period (8-9th<\/sup> centuries)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"hoangthanhthanglong-03\"<\/p>\n

Ridge tiles in the shape of mandarin ducks, \u0110inh-Anterior L\u00ea Period (10th<\/sup> century)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"hoangthanhthanglong-04\"<\/p>\n

Phoenix head statue used on the ridge end of the roof, L\u00fd dynasty (11-12th<\/sup> centuries)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"hoangthanhthanglong-05\"<\/p>\n

Ridge tiles decorated with phoenixes, L\u00fd dynasty (11-12th<\/sup> centuries)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"hoangthanhthanglong-06\"<\/p>\n

Phoenix attached on roof ridge tiles, L\u00fd dynasty (11-12th<\/sup> centuries)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"hoangthanhthanglong-07\"<\/p>\n

Phoenix head statue, Tr\u1ea7n dynasty (13- 14th<\/sup> centuries)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"hoangthanhthanglong-08\"<\/p>\n

Yellow-glazed tubular tiles in the shape of a dragon, Early L\u00ea dynasty (15th<\/sup> century)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"hoangthanhthanglong-09\"<\/p>\n

Celadon-glazed tubular tiles in the shape of a dragon, Early L\u00ea dynasty (15th<\/sup> century)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"hoangthanhthanglong-10\"<\/p>\n

Parallelepiped brick decorated with dragon, M\u1ea1c dynasty (16th<\/sup> century)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"hoangthanhthanglong-12\"<\/p>\n

Brown-flowered ceramic jar, Tr\u1ea7n dynasty (13-14th<\/sup> centuries)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"hoangthanhthanglong-13\"<\/p>\n

Blue-glazed ceramic bowl, decorated with five-clawed dragon, royal utensil item of the Early L\u00ea dynasty (15th<\/sup> century)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"hoangthanhthanglong-14\"<\/p>\n

Statue of a woman, white-glazed ceramics, Restored L\u00ea (17th<\/sup> century)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"hoangthanhthanglong-15\"<\/p>\n

Blue-flowered ceramics, painted with a bamboo cluster, Nguy\u1ec5n dynasty (19th<\/sup> century)<\/em><\/p>\n

Text by: Kim Y\u1ebfn
\n<\/strong>Photo courtesy: Vietnam Institute of Archaeology, Th\u0103ng Long- H\u00e0 N\u1ed9i Heritage Conservation Centre<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 18 Ho\u00e0ng Di\u1ec7u Archaeological Site to the west of the K\u00ednh Thi\u00ean Palace is part and parcel of the Th\u0103ng Long- H\u00e0 N\u1ed9i World Heritage Site. Excavated in 2002 over the largest area to date, the site has revealed an exceedingly large volume of artifacts and relics. Apart from the alternating and overlapping architectural …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2893,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-architectures","category-imperial-citadel-of-thang-long"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hoangthanhthanglong.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hoangthanhthanglong.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hoangthanhthanglong.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hoangthanhthanglong.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hoangthanhthanglong.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2885"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hoangthanhthanglong.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2885\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hoangthanhthanglong.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hoangthanhthanglong.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hoangthanhthanglong.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hoangthanhthanglong.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}