Visit Nghe An Ancient Citadel

Vinh ancient citadel  used to be the site chosen by King Quang Trung as the place to build the capital. This is a work with ancient and unique architecture, associated with many historical stories of Nghe Tinh land. Amidst the hustle and bustle of Vinh city today, the ancient citadel is still an ideal Nghe An tourist destination  for tourists from all over the world. 

1. Where is Vinh ancient citadel address? 

• Address:  Located on Dao Tan Street, Cua Nam Ward, Vinh City, Nghe An. 
• Opening hours:  7:00 – 22:00
• Admission Price:  Free admission. 

Over time, the building has been covered with moss and ancient (Photo: VnExpress newspaper)

Vinh ancient citadel is located in the southwest of  Cua Lo  Nghe An. This is a unique architectural work under the Nguyen Dynasty, built in 1831. Over time and the destruction of war, the work is no longer intact as it was originally. Currently, there are only 3 gates left in the territory of three wards in the city. Those Vinh are: Cua Nam, Quang Trung, Doi Cung. 

2. What is interesting about visiting Vinh ancient citadel? 

The citadel is a check-in point chosen by many tourists (Photo: Collectibles)

Traveling to the Central region is a choice of many tourists because this land has a unique regional culture, along with many beautiful natural landscapes and landscapes. Nghe An –  Ha Tinh tourist sites  are often associated with mountains, the sea or historical works. Among them, you must definitely visit Vinh ancient citadel. 

2.1. History of Vinh Ancient Citadel – Remnants of 300 years of construction

For tourists who love history, like to explore long-standing cultural works, the citadel in Vinh is really a destination not to be missed. This work is associated with many historical landmarks of Nghe An in particular and of the Vietnamese nation in general.

• In 1802 , after defeating the Tay Son dynasty, the Nguyen Dynasty officially won power. 
• In 1804 , Gia Long officially started construction of the citadel. The ancient citadel was built in Vinh with the outstanding vision of Quang Trung – Nguyen Hue “Juet mountain, Vinh river has the stature of an imperial capital, worth building a provincial town”. 
• In 1831 , during the reign of King Minh Mang, from the previous soil materials, the citadel was rebuilt with laterite on a larger scale and architecture. After that, it continued to be upgraded to use oyster and laterite stones in Tu Duc’s time.

Vinh Ancient Citadel is a historical relic in Nghe An that attracts many tourists every year. This is also a valuable work to study the culture, history and architecture of the ancient times. 

Visitors can freely take pictures by the moss-covered walls in Vinh ancient citadel (Photo: Collectibles)

2.2. Unique architectural “no-ice” meticulous feat in the ancient citadel of Vinh

When starting to build the ancient citadel in Vinh, because he wanted to erase traces of the Tay Son Dynasty, Gia Long decided not to build on Dung Quyet mountain but in Vinh Yen commune. To this day, traces of this work are still kept. 

Vinh city historical relic was built by 1000 soldiers of Thanh Hoa, 4000 soldiers of Nghe An. The original building material was earth, then it was changed to shiny stone and later upgraded to shell stone. The total cost of building the Vinh ancient citadel was up to 3,688 yuan – this amount was considered “giant” at that time. 

Ta Mon Gate is located in Quang Trung Ward today (Photo: VnExpress Newspaper)

Vinh Nghe An ancient citadel has a hexagonal structure with a total area of ​​420,000 m2, with a circumference of 2,520m. The building is built with 2 walls, inside and outside. In addition, there is a system of deep trenches, also known as high citadel. The three main doors of the ancient citadel are: Right Gate, Left Gate, and Tien Gate. 

• Cua Tien:  This is the main door facing Hue capital, to the south. This is also the king’s door. The king and court officials are welcome here. 
• Left  Gate: This door faces the East, on the door engraved the words “Ta Mon”. Since 1990, when the surrounding road was paved, the foundation was also covered. 
• Huu Gate:  This door opens to the West, compared to the other two doors, the Huu door is still the most intact. 

Check-in at Vinh ancient citadel (Photo: Collectibles)

2.3. Visit Vinh ancient citadel food street, only the “territory” knows 

To have a complete Nghe An trip, you should discover more simple but equally unique culinary dishes of this locality. Here are a few delicious dishes near the ancient gate of Vinh that you should not miss: 

• Nghe An eel soup:  This is a popular breakfast dish in Nghe An – Ha Tinh. A bowl of hot soup with soft pieces of eel, delicious and rich broth served with bread will leave an unforgettable aftertaste in the hearts of diners. 

Eel soup is a familiar breakfast dish for people in the Central region (Photo: Collectibles)

• Nghe An eel vermicelli:  Eel is considered a food rich in nutrients and vitamins. A bowl of eel vermicelli with delicious broth will help you get an energetic breakfast. 
• Sweet cake:  The aroma from molasses mixed with the aroma of ginger makes this cake extremely attractive. Not only is it a  famous Nghe An specialty  , this is also a traditional cake in important holidays of local people here. 

In addition to the tourist gate of Vinh citadel, in Nghe An, visitors can also explore many other attractions such as: Cua Lo beach, Muong Long heaven gate, Quyet mountain, 7-storey waterfall, etc. To easily plan a trip, you should carefully consider your destination.