UNESCO has recognized the Ho Dynasty Citadel in the central province of Thanh Hoa as a World Cultural Heritage Site in an official announcement made at the 35th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris on June 27.
The Ho Dynasty Citadel is located in the Vinh Tien and Vinh Long communes of Vinh Loc district. It was once the capital of Vietnam from 1397 to 1407. The citadel includes palaces, bamboo screen hedges and a moat built with huge stone slabs, still in good state despite weathering 600 years of existence.
The Citadel also has altars, marble-paved roads connecting different palaces, ancient villages and mountainous river scenery that have been relatively well preserved.
Ho Dynasty Citadel is under the management of Thanh Hoa Relics and Landscape Management Board. The relics of the Ho citadel have been classified as National relics since 28 April 1962.
Ho Dynasty Citadel is now one of the seven UNESCO world cultural and natural heritage sites in Vietnam besides Ha Long Bay, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Hoi An Ancient Town, Hue Ancient Capital, My Son Holy Land and the Thang Long Royal Citadel.
