THE CAPITAL CITY The Capital City Kinh Thanh, is a vast, almost square quad- rangle, with brick walls 6.6 meters high and 21 meters thick. Its perimeter is about 11 kilometers and its area 52 Km2. The walls form a military defenses, with 24 bastions (6 in each side) a defending moat 40 meters wide (Ho thanh Ha), and ten fortified gates crowned with brick miradors. Each has a small tower 5 meters high with a three-staged roof in traditional Vietnamese style. At the northeast corner is the bastion of Tran Binh Dai (or Mang Ca). At the south front stands the Ky Dai (King's Mound), in the three stages, 17.5 meters high, topped by Flagstaff 37 meters high. The inside of the city wall is built of earth, and the outside of firm bricks. The quantity of earth used for this alone amounted to nearly one million cubic meters. This outer wall contains, near its southern front, the Imperial City, Hoang Thanh, and within that lies the Forbidden Purple City, Tu Cam Thanh - the symbolic heart of the kingdom. The Imperial City incorporates all the most beautiful and magni- ficient stylistic aspects of the old capitals. There are the stone-carving styles of Hoa Lu and the works of the most skillfulcraftsmen from Ninh Binh Province. The influence of Thang Long (Ancient name Hanoi) is evident here, not only in its style but in the materials used. It is bounded by a perimeter 622 meters long and 606 meters across, with brick walls four meters high and nearly one meter thick, its total area being 37.5 hectares. There is a gate on each side; the front and most important one is Ngo Mon (Noon Gate), which was the main entrance of the city, and traditionally reserved for the King. It is no mere gate, but an imposing brick construction surmounted by famous Lau Ngu Phung (Watchtower of the Five Phoenixes). To the north, is the Hoa Binh (Gate of Peace); to the east and west, the Hien Nhan (Gate of Humanity) and the Chuong Duc (Gate of Virtue). The moat around the Imperial Citadel is spanned by the Kim Thuy Bridge. In the symbolic style, the main palaces were built with the support of over the 100 tall columns of precious wood (iron- wood, peckwood or ebony), either in its natural state or lacquered in red and gold. On the lacquered ones, there are pictures of dragons soaring among clouds which seem to depict various moods, evoking the images of Vietnamese ca dao (popular song poem). The Thai Hoa (supreme harmony) palace, the Ngo Mon Gate, The Mieu (temple of the cult of the Nguyen Kings). Hung Mieu (Temple of the Cult of Gia-Long's parents), Phu Van Lau (Reading Pavilion), Dien Tho Palace (the Queen Mother's Apartments) and Long An (Sleeping Dragon) Palace, were built with cornered roofs covered with yellow and enameled tiles laid in pairs and closely linked at the top (call `yin-yang' tiles). Decorating these roofs are such images as the sun, moon,dragon, phoenix and calabash. On the roofs of Thai Hoa Palace, one can see large colorful dragons which seem to be moving, turning towards the sun. This style is distinct from that of other Asian countries, and even other parts of Viet Nam. Built on a two-meter thick foundation, Thai Hoa Palace was used for all ceremonies. Everywhere statues and engraving of great aesthetic value representing demigods, dragons, phoenixes, kylins and tortoises, were vividly carved on wood and stone, testifying to the rich imagination of the artists and artisans. Though in large quantity, they are never repetitions in form or appearance. The Imperial City is divided into nine parts, and at the center is Tu Cam Thanh, the Forbidden Purple City, in which is concen- trated an architectural complex serving the King. Among its palaces are Dien Can Thanh (King's private palace). Dien Can Chanh (Palace of Audiences), where the mandarins were received every day, Dien Khon Thai (Queen's Palace), and Kien Trung, residence of the last two Kings of the Nguyen Dynasty. To the right of Cam Thanh Palace was a series of smaller edifices, including Vien Thai Y (health Service), Thuong Thien (Royal Kitchen), Duyet Thi Duong (Royal Theater) and Thai Binh Lau (Belvedere of Supreme Harmony), together with the Ngu Uyen (Royal Garden). In about 40 hectares, nearly 100 constructions of different shapes and sizes were concentrated, each with its own distinctive color, air and appearance. See at the Capital City map menu
