Just 110km from Hanoi, near the town of Ninh Binh, is Hoa Lu where the site of a 10th-century capital of an ancient Vietnamese Kingdom formerly stood. The kingdom, called Dai Co Viet, ruled from the 10th to 11th century, during the Dinh and Le dynasties, until the reign of Ly Dynasty. Covering an area of 300 hectares, the Kingdom was enclosed by a citadel. Along with the Yen Ngua limestone hills, the citadel served as the kingdom’s defense against attacks from Chinese forces. The entire area includes the villages of Chi Phong, Yen Thanh, Yen Thuong of Truong Yen commune, Hoa Lu district.

As the country’s capital for 41 years, many palaces, pagodas, tombs and pavilions were built in the kingdom throughout the different dynasties. Among the most popular pieces of architecture that stood there is the Bao Thien Tue Palace, which was plated with gold and silver.

Several other vestiges have been destroyed due to time and weather. Two other temples are among the area’s major’s attractions – the famous Dinh temple and Le temple, built in the 11th century in honor of King Dinh Tien Hoang and his successor Le Dai Hanh. The Dinh temple, made of bronze and mounted on green rock crystal, is located in the main palace with the impressive South Gate, a lotus pond, artificial hills, flower garden, inner triumphal arch, three sanctuaries and a back court. Some 500 meters away, hidden beneath some trees, is the King Le temple.

Though slightly smaller, Le temple still retains many vestiges of ancient architecture with sophisticated decoration. Visitors will be attracted by several beautiful Pagodas. The Nhat Tru Pagoda, 200 meters away from King Le Temply, has stone pillars carved with the texts Shurangama made by King Le Dai Hanh to offer the Buddha . In the old Ngoai citadel, there are still many other ancient temples, which were built during the Dinh such as the Dia Pagoda, Thap Pagoda and Ba Ngo Pagoda.

Festivals Many traditional cultural festivals have been celebrated here. A visit to the ancient capital will give visitors a chance to attend and witness the celebration. Among the most important of the festivals is the Truong Yen festival which last three days, held on the 10th day of the third lunar month. It celebrates the memory of the Kings of the Dinh and Le dynasties. During such days, large crowds and pilgrims come here both to worship and attend many entertainment activities including “Co lau tap tran”, competing in writing Han script, playing chess, performing dragon dance, and martial arts, all reflecting local residents’ legends.

Other attractions When visiting Ninh Binh, it is best to take a boat trip to visit Tam Coc – Bich Dong. A visit to the Van Long wild lagoon, a pristine nature reserve with many rare animals, is also a must.

Getting to Hoa Lu It is easy to Sign up for a day tour to Hoa Lu which begins from Hanoi. Several travel agencies have regular schedules for such. The tour usually begins in the morning and includes a boat ride at Tam Coc. Since Hoa Lu takes 2 hours to reach.