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Thanh Hoang De, or Emperor Citadel, has stood
the test of time as an historical
witness through the ups and downs of
history. Built in 1776, it was first
called Do Ban Citadel, and later renamed
Emperor Rampart. In 1799 the citadel was
lost to the Nguyen Dynasty and the name
was once again changed to Binh Dinh
Wall.
The rampart is located in Nhon Hau
Commune, An Nhon District in the central
province of Binh Dinh. There are no
signs to the citadel but travelers can
ask any of the local residents for
directions.
I had expected the ancient rampart to be
restored and crowded, like the Royal
citadel in Hue City, but on the
contrary, it remains as it was. Thus,
even though I was standing right in
front of it I did not recognize it until
I asked a local, who gave a nod!
During its 200 year history, two
military leaders of the Nguyen Dynasty,
Vo Tanh and Ngo Tung Chau, committed
suicide at the citadel when it was lost.
The two royal tombs are located here.
According to a monograph by Binh Dinh,
the Emperor Wall was 7,400 meters in
perimeter and was built with five gates:
North, West, East, South (also called Ve
gate) and Tan Khai.
Currently only the South gate is open
for tourists. Despite being an
historical monument, there are no
railings or even doors at the entrance.
Surprisingly, visitors entered the
rampart without being hindered. Tran Duc
Tam, an old man who works as a guard
there, followed," offering a tour with
his own knowledge of the history of the
citadel. There was a flag tower in the
centre and on the right a damaged grave
with flowers and incense. At one time,
there were many ramparts here, the
Imperial Citadel and Purple Forbidden
City among others. However, now there
are no soldiers, just the whistling
wind.
Two semicircle lakes have been excavated
where the imperial concubines bathed,
but the excavation was never finished
and one, which was only partially
exposed, is now covered with grass.
It is believed that Hon Da Chem (the
guillotine stone) is 1.58 meters long,
1.35 meters wide and 0.38 meters thick.
It was a stone where Le Van Thanh, a
general of Tay Son, cut off the head of
generals and high-ranking officers. Now
this stone is enclosed in Thap Thap
Pagoda which is opposite the wall.
Leaving the rampart, I saw two elephant
statues with broken ivories; they have
witnessed the history. I have been to
many historical monuments, but this time
I had a unique, strange feeling.
Source : SGT
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