The southern gate of the Ho Dynasty Citadel with three large stone arches, surrounded by lush green rice fields, creates a majestic and peaceful scene. Photo: Provided by the Ho Dynasty Citadel Heritage Conservation Center

First impressions from French scholars

As early as 1918, two works La province de Thanh Hoa (Breton) and Le Thanh Hoa (Ch. Robinquin) mentioned Tay Do citadel - another name for Ho Dynasty Citadel - in the context of administrative survey of Thanh Hoa province.

Although the content is still biased towards colonial governance purposes, these are considered the first Western documents to acknowledge the value of the ancient citadel.

In 1922, scholar H. Le Breton published the book Thanh Hoa Pittoresque, which for the first time specifically described the scale, architecture and construction techniques of the Ho Dynasty Citadel.

He called it “the most beautiful military architectural relic in Vietnamese history that still exists in Indochina”, with a system of earthen ramparts about 20km long, palaces, temples and large-scale works constructed from limestone blocks with sophisticated patterns.

Louis Bezacier: “Masterpiece of Southeast Asian architecture”

In the mid-20th century, architectural expert Louis Bezacier (France) continued to add value to the Ho Dynasty Citadel in the work L'art Vietnamien. He affirmed:

“The Ho Dynasty Citadel is a unique example of large limestone blocks that were skillfully chiseled and joined together.”

The Ho Dynasty Citadel has been a highlight in the research works of international scholars for over a century. Photo: Provided by the Ho Dynasty Citadel Heritage Conservation Center

Bezacier believes that this is a military architectural work of Southeast Asian regional stature, playing an important political role in the late 14th and early 15th centuries.

The ramparts, palace foundations and decorative details such as dragon-shaped railings, four-petaled patterns... were described by him as "impressive", "precise", "bearing the mark of Dai La art".

Japan: Approach with modern scientific methods

In the early 21st century, Japanese researchers approached the Ho Dynasty Citadel with modern methods.

In 2002, a cooperation program between Showa Women's University (Japan), Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities and Thanh Hoa Museum conducted a survey and analysis of the stone composition of the citadel.

Professor Kikuchi (Showa Women's University) commented:

“The Ho Dynasty Citadel is the crystallization of citadel-building skills and the pinnacle of Vietnamese urban planning in the 14th - 15th centuries.”

He highly appreciated the harmony between architecture, planning and construction techniques - showing the very high level of development of Vietnamese architecture in the Middle Ages.

Contribute to spreading heritage values ​​to the world

Research works by international scholars - from a scientific and objective perspective - have contributed to affirming the position of Ho Dynasty Citadel as a regional heritage, helping to promote the image of Vietnam to international friends.

With its outstanding and unique values, rich in cultural, historical and architectural values, the Ho Dynasty Citadel has very early attracted the attention not only of domestic scholars, but also of many foreign scholars interested in and researching with many valuable articles and works. Photo: Provided by the Ho Dynasty Citadel Heritage Conservation Center

Preserving, researching and promoting the value of this heritage is not only the task of the cultural sector but also the common responsibility of the community.

Ho Dynasty Citadel is not only a symbol of Thanh land but also the pride of the whole nation on the world cultural map.

According to baovanhoa.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/di-san-kien-truc-quan-su-doc-nhat-dong-nam-a-post401063.html