Hanoi (VNA) – State President Luong Cuong and his spouse Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet, together with King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium went for a tour of Thang Long Imperial Citadel at noon on April 1 as part of the latters’ state visit to Vietnam.
The distinguished guests walked through the Doan Mon gate (main gate) to visit the archaeological excavation site and stairways railed with stone dragons at the Kinh Thien Palace, which preserve numerous historical traces of the imperial citadel across different eras.
The delegation also visited the Thang Long Imperial Palace’s treasures exhibition hall, which displays nationally recognised treasures, including precious metals and high-quality ceramics manufactured by the royal Thang Long kilns for emperors, empresses, royalty, and imperial court functions.
Representatives of the Thang Long-Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre guided President Cuong, his spouse and the Belgian royal couple through Vietnam's thousand-year history via preserved artifacts at the Imperial Citadel, a site that profoundly embodies the historical significance of the millennia-old capital. The ancient architectural structures, architectural remnants, and archaeological artifacts represent an invaluable source of pride for Thang Long-Hanoi specifically and Vietnam as a whole.
The distinguished guests also got detailed explanation about the Kinh Thien Palace, once the most important structure in the ancient Thang Long forbidden city, where the court conducted its most solemn ceremonies, received foreign envoys, and deliberated crucial state issues.
The Belgian King and Queen expressed their impression of the profound cultural and historical value of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, underscoring the significance of preserving and promoting each nation’s cultural heritage.
The tour aimed to introduce the Belgian royal couple to Vietnam's beautiful history, culture, and hospitable people, thus fostering people-to-people exchanges and establishing foundations for expanded cooperation between the two nations across various domains.
The Thang Long Imperial Citadel is an important surviving portion of the Forbidden City and Imperial Citadel of the historic Thang Long capital. This massive architectural marvel, constructed by Vietnamese kings across multiple historical periods, stands as one of the most important monuments in Vietnam's heritage system. UNESCO recognised the Thang Long Imperial Citadel as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2010, symbolising the centuries-long cultural and historical legacy of Dai Viet. The site served as the power centre for Vietnamese kings through the Ly, Tran, Early Le, Mac, and Le Trung Hung (The Later Le) dynasties./.
