Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam, is located near the modern capital of Hanoi. The capital of the city happened to be in the X century, at the time of significant events in the history of the state, the main of which was the unification of Vietnam after internecine wars and rebellions. The ruler Dinh managed to do this and founded the capital of Hoa Lu in his native village between picturesque mountains. At that time, the country was called Daikokovet.
In addition to the natural, mountain defences, two fortresses were built - an outer and an inner one. By now, one of them has collapsed, and the city has also become dilapidated over so many centuries. But, thanks to the Vietnamese veneration of their forebears, a significant part of the architectural heritage has been preserved.
Today, on the territory of the former capital there are about 50 ancient cultural monuments - temples, pagodas, caves and grottoes. The main temple is dedicated to the first emperor and founder of the first centralised dynasty, Dinh Tieng Hoang. It is built according to all the rules of Feng Shui, (behind the mountain, in front of the river), restored in the XVII century. The wooden statues of the emperor and his family have survived to this day. Separate temples are dedicated to Dinh's sons, and another was built in honour of his daughter, a princess with a tragic fate.
Another interesting temple refers already to the founder of the Le dynasty. The sculpture of Le Hoan himself is placed on a throne, on her left hand is a statue of the empress in ornamented clothes.
Thien Ton Cave is not only a natural, but also a historical monument, as well as a cult complex of two religions - Buddhism and Taoism. The outer room is reserved for Buddha worship, while the inner room is for Taoism followers. Tourists are interested in Le Dynasty wall paintings, lacquered Buddhist figurines and other artefacts.
Hoa Lu, where the three ruling dynasties of ancient Vietnam came from, is a very visited place - not only by tourists. Pilgrims come here, so there is always incense smoking and fresh flowers in the temples. And every spring the ancient capital hosts the Hoala Festival, the centre of which is the temple of the founder - Dinh Tieng Hoang.
