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PROVINCES IN VIET NAM 
Ha NoiHa Noi is the capital of Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Ha Noi lies in Red River Delta and is situated in a tropical area having a strong monsoon influence. The name of Ha Noi (Interior side of a river) has been derived from an ancient language which is literally known as a land area located in the inner side of Red River. It does not mean that the city is inside the river, but it is embraced by about 100 km of the Red River dykes. Ha Noi has four inner precincts (Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Hai Ba Trung, Dong Da) and five suburban districts (Tu Liem, Thanh Tri, Gia Lam, Dong Anh and Soc Son). From the time when the first State of ancient Vietnam was established , Ha Noi (formerly Thang Long) has been considered a sacred and typical part of Vietnam. It was in the autumn of 1010 that Ly Cong uan (also known as Ly Thai To) - the founder of Nha Hau Ly(Post-Ly Dynasty) - removed the court from Hoa Lu?(present-day Ninh Binh province) to Dai La Citadel which was later renamed as Thang Long . As soon as the royal fleet with King Ly Thai To aboard cast anchors at the landing wharf in the Nhi River (present-day Red River) , there ascended a golden dragon. Thinking that it was a good omen for his trip, King Ly Thai To had Dai La Citadel renamed Thang Long (Ascending Dragon) . He also had Hoa Lu - his former capital - renamed Truong Yen. 1397 was the year marking an end to the decline of Nha Hau Le (Post-Le Dynasty). It was the time when the king indulged himself in entertainments. Ho Quy Ly, a high-ranking court official, overthrew the king and proclaimed himself the king of a new dynasty - Ho Dynasty. This dynasty removed the court to Tay Do (Western Capital) in Thanh Hoa province. Thang Long was then renamed Dong Do (Eastern Capital). In 1407, the Ming aggressors defeated the army of Ho Dynasty. They rushed to Dong Do Citadel and renamed it Dong Quan Citadel. In 1418, a farmer whose name was Le Loi (future Le Thai To) grouped an insurrection army in Lam Son district in Thanh Hoa province. He proclaimed himself as Binh Dinh Vuong (King of Pacification) and led the resistance against the aggressors for 10 years and regained national independence. He entered the then Dong Quan Citadel and the next year, he renamed the citadel as Dong Kinh (Eastern Imperial City). In 1527, when a new dynasty - Nha Mac (Mac Dynasty) - was in the control of the country, the citadel resumed its former name (Thang Long). In 1802, King Gia Long established the first court of Nha Nguyen (Nguyen Dynasty) in Phu Xuan in the central coastal city of Hue. |
Thang Long was then used as the regional capital exercising influence on 11 northern citadels. But the word LONG which literally meant RONG (Dragon) was changed to LONG which was understood as THINH (Prosperity). In 1831, King Minh Mang established the province of Ha Noi which includes the ancient Thang Long Citadel and the districts of Tu Liem, ung Hoa, Thuong Tin and Ly Nhan. In 1888, after the tragic defeat of Nha Nguyen (Nguyen Dynasty), Ha Noi became a colonial city until 1954. On September 2, 1954, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence and formally established the first government of the young republic - Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Ha Noi was then formally declared the capital of Vietnam. Ha Noi capital was liberated from French colonialists on October 10, 1954. After the complete victory on April 30, 1975 and the reunification of the country the next year, Ha Noi was officially recognized as the capital of Socialist Republic of Vietnam. In the old days, each of 36 guild streets in Ha Noi had its name closely associated with the trade and occupation of the inhabitants. Now, Ha Noi has 381 streets representing a tenfold increase as compared with the ancient Ha Noi with 36 guild streets only.
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TEMPLE OF LITERATURE
Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) was built in 1070 as a dedication to the founder of Confucianism. Six years later, Quoc Tu Giam - the first university of Vietnam - was built in the premises of Van Mieu. Quoc Tu Giam was the first school for princes and children of royal family members. In 1482, King Le Thanh Ton ordered the erection of steles with inscription of all the names, birth dates and birth places of doctors and other excellent graduates who took part in examinations since 1442. Each stela is placed on the back of a turtle representing the nation's longevity. During Nha Nguyen (Nguyen Dynasty), Temple of Literature was moved to Phu Xuan (Hue Royal City).
Hoan Kiem LakeHo Hoan Kiem (Lake of Restored Sword) : The name of this lake is derived from a legend having it that a fisherman named Le Than caught a sword blade when drawing the fish-net. Than decided to offer it to his commanding general Le Loi (future Le Thai To). Afterwards, Le Loi found a hilt fitting that blade very well. This sword had always been on his side during 10 years of resistance against Ming aggressors. After winning over the foreign aggression, King Le Thai To returned to Thang Long Citadel. One day, aboard a royal boat, he took a cruise in the Luc Thuy lake. Suddenly, a giant turtle emerged and came towards him. The king withdrew his sword, and pinpointed with the sword the direction of the coming turtle for his soldiers' attention. All of a sudden, the turtle caught the sword between its teeth from the king's hand and submerged. The king thought that during the resistance against Ming aggressors, the genius had offered him this sword to help him defeat the enemy. At that time, the peace was returning, and the genius appeared to take back the sword. Consequently, King Le Thai To decided to name the Luc Thuy lake Ho Hoan Kiem (Lake of Restored Sword). In the middle of the lake is Thap Rua (Turtle Tower). The lake abounds in big turtles aged five or six hundred. When there are the changes in weather, they often emerge or expose themselves at the foot of the Turtle Temple. |
Hoan Kiem TORTOISES an unknown species? The legendary tortoises in Hoan Kiem lake have turned out to be an unknown species, following recent research. The existence of tortoises in the lake was only known after the appearance of Kim Qui (the Golden Tortoise) God in the fifteenth century, when he took back the magical sword that brought victory to Emperor Le Thai To.Kim Qui has appeared twice throughout national history, according to legend. Before the appearance in Hoan Kiem lake, the first appearance was in the 3rd century BC when a golden tortoise helped King An Duong Vung (Thuc Phan) to construct the spiral shaped defences of the ancient capital of Co Loa. But the actual place of the appearance is still unknown. When Cæ Loa was attacked by Trieu Da, the king of a neighbouring country, Kim Qui gave An Duong Vuong his claw to make a magical cross-bow which created a rain of arrows upon the foreign invaders. The arrogance of victory eclipsed the King's mind, however, and he lost the next war, after losing the magical cross-bow. The remains of the city can be seen in Dong Anh district, 25 kilometres from Ha Noi . It is believed that Kim Qui is one of the tortoises currently living in the lake. However, many different species of tortoise apart from the giant tortoise (Pelochelys bibroni) have been identified in a study of the lake's habitat in 1993.This was affirmed by Dr. Peter C.H. Pritchard, Director of the US Chelonian Institute during a visit early this year. "Hoan Kiem tortoises may be a division of Chinese soft-shell tortoises (Rafetus swinhoei) or an unknown species. It is perhaps an unknown species, and if so, may be named after the lake as Hoankiemensis or Hoguomensis. To prove this conclusion, a sample of skin or bone from the Hoan Kiem tortoises will be sent to foreign genetics laboratories for DNA analysis |
Den Ngoc SonD en Ngoc Son (Ngoc Son Temple) : Initially, the temple was called Ngoc Son Pagoda. Later, it was renamed as Ngoc Son Temple, because it was dedicated to the saints. Saint Van Xuong was a person considered the brightest star in Vietnam's literature and intellectual circles. Tran Hung Dao was worshipped because he was the national hero who led the Vietnamese people to a resounding victory over the Mongol aggression. The temple as it is seen today was attributable to the restoration efforts of Nguyen Van Sieu, a great Hanoian writer. He had a large pen-shaped tower (Thap But) built at the entrance to the temple. On the upper section of Thap But, there are three Chinese characters Ta Thanh Thien which mean literally that to write on the blue sky is to imply the height of a genuine and righteous person's determination and will. Behind Thap But is Dai Nghien (Ink Stand). The Ink Stand is carved from stone resembling a peach, which is placed on the back of three frogs on top of the gate to the temple. Passing through Dai Nghien, visitors will tread on the wooden bridge called The Huc. The Huc is literally understood as the place where beams of morning sunshine are touching. Besides, Ha Noi has such attractions as Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh Museum, History Museum, Revolution Museum, Army Museum, Fine Arts Museum, Palace of Friendship.... |
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