Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is located in Ninh Binh provice, the land has both marvelous mountains and seas with the development of many attractive tourist areas.
Hoa Lu ancient capital, perhaps, makes the province more attractive because it creates the cultural identity of the area and help people understand more about the cultural, architectural and sculptural values associated with the legend about the foundation of Dai Co Viet (an old name of Viet Nam country).
This place is worth visiting for anyone who wants to explore and learn new things.
History and Highlights of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Hoa Lu is an ancient city surrounded by the Trang An limestone mountains. Its northwest is bordered by the Hoang Long River, the tributaries of which run through the capital, cooling the weather within the city and serving as convenient waterways.
Hoa Lu is known as the first capital of Vietnam with a wide range of historical landmarks. In 968, King Dinh Bo Linh of Dai Co Viet (an old name of Vietnam) constructed his capital in Hoa Lu and ruled until the year 980.
Afterwards, Hoa Lu also existed for almost 30 years of Early Le dynasty (980-1009) and 1 year of the Ly dynasty (1009-1010). In 1010, King Ly Thai To moved it to Thang Long (Ha Noi now) and since then, Hoa Lu became an ancient capital which maintained lots of ancient temples and relic sites of Vietnam.
The Royal Court was built in an area of 150 hectares in the eastern part of the capital while the western part served as a site to educate and protect children. The surroundings are quite picturesque, with ponds and limestone range forming a jagged horizon.
Nowadays, Hoa Lu ancient capital plays an important role in architectural and historical complex of Viet Nam. It was also recognized as one of the 4 cores forming of the UNESCO World Heritage Site – Trang An Complex.
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What to visit in Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
King Dinh temple (worship the King Dinh Tien Hoang)
King Dinh Temple is one of the unique architectures in Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, worshipping King Dinh Tien Hoang (King of Dai Co Viet Dynasty).
The unique architecture applied to build the temple of King Dinh was the art of wood and stone carving which was made by almost Vietnamese folk artists in the 17th century. The temple offers an ancient and sediment beauty and makes us feel how the city was a millennium ago.
King Dinh temple lies at the foot of Ma Yen mountain, You have to climb up 265 steps getting to the top of the mountain to see King Dinh Temple. From there, you can take a panoramic view of Hoa Lu Imperial city
The temple is divided into three shrines: the outer one is Ngo Mon Gate, the middle is called Thien Huong and the inner one worships King Dinh Tien Hoang
Legend has it that Dinh Bo Linh (DinhTien Hoang’s first name) took his troop to clear away twelve independent feudal warlords.
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King Le temple
Not far from the temples of King Dinh is King Le Temple, worshiping King Le Dai Hanh. King Le temple lies at the foot of Ma Yen mountain to the south.
The temple has the similar architectural design with King Ding Temple, but smaller. It is also divided into 3 parts: front shrine, Thien Huong house and the sanctum worshipping Le King.
Both King Dinh and Le temple are symbols for Vietnamese people’s reverence and gratitude to the two kings who offered sacrifices in the 10th century
Ma Yen mountain
The height of Ma Yen mountain is about 200m. People called it Ma Yen, because it looks like a saddles.
This mountain is associated with the legend of Dinh Bo Linh who chose this mountainous region to build the capital.
When the king passed away, the people buried his body on top of the mountain. Also at the foot of Ma Yen mountain to the souththere is also the tomb of King Le Dai Hanh
If standing on the top of Ma Yen, you can see the panorama of ancient capital of Hoa Lu.
Nhat Tru pagoda
Nhat Tru Pagoda, also known as One Pillar Pagoda, is an ancient temple from the 10th century in the special preserved area of Hoa Lu ancient relic (Ninh Binh).The pagoda owns a national treasure of the stone pillar carved with Buddhist scriptures. This Pagoda is the place of many unique festivals.
Best time to visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Visiting Hoa Lu doesn’t force you to have to determine the time. However in a recommendation of Vietnamese people, spring is usually considered as the most beautiful time in to drop by Hoa Lu Ninh Binh because there will be many stunning festivals after Lunar Tet holiday.
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This time is suited for anyone who wants to participate in and experience busy atmospheres, crowds in the festivals. Oppositely if you like a peaceful space, you should visit Hoa Lu Ninh Binh on the other days of the year.
