The soils of Hanoi nowadays still bear the traces of virtually all the major historic dynasties. All the major structures inside the citadel are in line with the South-North axis, whose relics now include the Flag Tower, the Doan Mon Gate, the Kinh Thien Palace, and the North Gate.
The Ly Dynasty reigned for more than 200 years (1010-1225), leaving an orderly and classical architecture. The Tran Dynasty (1225-1400) built hundreds of royal palaces and monuments, temples and residences, elegant and luxurious. During the wars against the Mongols, the ancient capital was severely devastated. The Tran made every effort to rebuild Thang Long. Then came the Champas who set the city ablaze. During the Ming's domination (1414-1427), the heritage left was found to be scant. Only after King Le Thai To assumed the throne (1428-1433), restoring the capital and renaming it as Dong Kinh, could it redeem the glory of a capital city. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Thang Long was fairly bustling and prosperous. In the late 19th century, the Tay Son Dynasty (1789-1802) changed its name to Bac Thanh. In 1831, King Minh Mang (1820-1840) called it Hanoi.
The Flag Tower was built in 1812 and is a hexagonal tower, more than 41m high, with stairs inside leading to the top. The Kinh Thien Palace is situated in the heart of the Forbidden Citadel. The palace experienced a large-scale restoration in 1428 to 1465. It was used as a place for sacred ceremonies of the former kings. The Kinh Thien Palace was built on a high platform with a surrounding verandah and large stairs. The palace had two layers of roofing, perched on big iron wood pillars. The delicate rock engravings of the dragon go well with the large stairs, 4.45 m wide and 2.1 m high. The two extant stone dragons are symbolic of the great skills of the Vietnamese artisans under the Le Dynasty.
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