Part of the Ho dynasty citadel (Photo: VNA)Thanh Hoa (VNA) – An exhibition on archeological excavations at the HoDynasty Citadel in the past five years opened in the central province of ThanhHoa on December 15.
The Ho Citadel HeritageConservation Centre organised the event to celebrate the fifth anniversary ofthe relic site as a global heritage. As part of the celebration, the centrealso allows free entrance for all visitors on December 15 and 16.
The Ho Dynasty Citadel wasVietnam’s capital under the Ho Dynasty (1398-1407). Located in Vinh Locdistrict, the citadel measures 870m by 883m and was built in 1397. It is theonly citadel in the country built entirely of stones and remained nearly intactthroughout the nation’s history.
It was recognised as aWorld Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO on July 27, 2011. According to experts,the structure is an outstanding example of a new style of construction for aSoutheast Asian imperial city.
The exhibition featuredoutcomes of excavations at the Nam Giao worship area, central palace, the canalsystem and entrances, among other places.
Most notably, fourexcavations at the Nam Giao worship area, which spans 18,000 square metres,have shown foundations of various structures and found myriad artifacts.
Meanwhile, in 2015, the Ho Citadel HeritageConservation Centre excavated part of the southern canal over an area of over2,000 square metres and clarified the scale, structure and functions of the defendingcanal. In addition to defence purpose, the canal provided a workshop producingstones used in the construction of the citadel.
Another excavation in the southern gate unearthed a bluestoneroad connecting the entrance with the Nam Giao worship area. The inner road wasconsidered the most intact among roads from the feudal period found in Vietnam.-VNA
VNA
