The Cổ Loa Citadel, functioning as Imperial Citadel, Military Citadel and Urban Citadel, is located in the middle of the plain area, the national centre, the transportation hub by water and land, with a dense population and a prosperous economy. Its existence with the assertive hallmark of the first era of the national construction and defence, serves as a base and premise for the development of great tangible and intangible cultural values in the region of this ancient Imperial City.

Satellite photo of Cổ Loa site

In 1959, with the discovery of a warehouse of bronze arrows at Cầu Vực, the extensive and large-scale archaeological research began in Cổ Loa and its vicinity. The research on the citadel from the 1970s up to the recent years, especially in the 2007 - 2014 period has led to the identification and the profound knowledge of its scale, characteristics, structure, functions, construction techniques. Outline of important archaeological discoveries and excavations at the Cổ Loa citadel area

1959: Discovery of bronze arrows at Cầu Vực

1970: Excavation at the Outer Rampar at Mít village

1982: Discovery of Cổ Loa bronze drum and other bronze artifacts at Mả Tre

2004 - 2007: Excavation at the southwest corner of the Inner Rampart; Discovery of a system of klns for making bronze arrows and javelins.

2007 – 2008: Excavation at a moat of the Middle Rampart

2012: Excavation at the Outer Rampart

2014: Excavation at the Bastion and the Inner Rampart

Archaeological excavation at the Inner Rampart in 2005 - 2007

The location where the sectional molds for making Cổ Loa bronze arrows.

Sectional molds for making a swallow-shaped javelins - National treasure

Sectional molds for making three-sided bronze arrows - National treasure

Archaeological excavation of the Middle Rampart and its moat in 2007 - 2008

The plan of the excavated trench at the Middle Rampart and its moat

Mặt bằng địa tầng hố khai quật thành Trung

The cross-section of the eastern wall of the Middle Rampart moat

Archaeological excavation at the Outer Rampart in 2012

Overview of the excavation at the Outer Rampart

The cross-section of the Outer Rampart in the northern view

Archaeological excavation of the Inner Citadel and the Bastions in 2014

Overview of the excavated trench

The scale, the construction structure of the Cổ Loa citadel
The Cổ Loa Citadel has a massive scale and structure, with three closed circular ramparts and its circumference is 16,000m. The Inner Rampart is rectangular, the Central and Outer ramparts are closed curves that follow the natural land position. The rampart outside is vertical, the inside is gently sloping. On the three ramparts, there are earth mounds called "Ụ Hỏa hồi" (bastions).

Map of Cổ Loa Citadel

The scale, the construction structure of the Cổ Loa citadel
The citadel ramparts all have gates, on which there are shines for worshipping the deities guarding them. The Inner Rampart has 01 gate, the Middle Rampart has 05 gates, and the Outer Rampart has 04 gates; The Central and Outer ramparts share a gate: Trấn Nam Môn.(Protecting southern gate)

Shrine of the Southern gate of the Central and Outer rampartss

The scale, the construction structure of the Cổ Loa citadel

Shrine of the Northern gate

The scale, the construction structure of the Cổ Loa citadel
The 3 ramparts all have outer moats. Hoàng Giang River not only provides water and convenient transportation for the moats, but also ensures the life and trade of the residents in the citadel. The system of the moats around the three ramparts turned Cổ Loa into a strong military stronghold. At present, most of the moats has been landfilled, leaving some sections to remain.

Lake/Pond in front of the Chùa, Chợ villages - traces of the ancient moats

The scale, the construction structure of the Cổ Loa citadel

Hoàng Giang River in the Southeast view

The construction technique of the Cổ Loa citadel
When building the citadel, the King An Vương absolutely took advantage of the natural terrain of this area. He connected the natural hills and mounds to form the ramparts, and at the same time cleared rivulets and swamps to form moats. The higher the rampart were, the deeper the moats were.

East profile, excavation of the Outer Wall 2012

The construction technique of the Cổ Loa citadel

West profile, excavation of the Outer Wall 2012

The construction date of the Cổ Loa citadel
With the current archaeological and ancient historical data sources, the Cổ Loa Citadel is considered the earliest and largest of the citadels in Việt Nam and Southeast Asia, which was built by King An Dương in the third – second century BC and continued to be raised in the following periods.

Southwest corner of the Inner Rampart

The construction date of the Cổ Loa citadel

Remains of Cổ Loa Citadel in 1988

The construction date of the Cổ Loa citadel

The entrance to ancient Cổ Loa village

After more than 2,300 years of history, with the natural and human effects, the ancient majestic citadel has still been preserved, but no longer intact, and now only remaining traces of the three ramparts and their moats. The Cổ Loa Citadel today is facing many risks and challenges due to the many impacts of the rural urbanization process.

Cổ Loa citadel moats

Remaining traces of a moat section

Remaining traces of a moat section

Remaining traces of a moat section

Apart from the tangible cultural values, the typical intangible cultural values such as traditional customs and festival have also preserved at Cổ Loa.

The Cổ Loa Festival, also known as Bát xã Loa Thành (Eight villages of the Cổ Loa Citadel) festival, is held on January 6 every year, to praise the merits of King An Dương and his generals, who deserved for founding the Âu Lạc state and relocating the imperial city in Cổ Loa, building the citadel, fighting against invaders, preserving the national sovereignty, developing the production, and expanding the country.

Statue of Emperor An Dương - National Treasure

Co Loa Festival in the 1940s of the 20th century (photo 1)

Co Loa Festival in the 1940s of the 20th century (photo 2)

Co Loa Festival in the 1940s of the 20th century (photo 3)

Co Loa Festival in the 1940s of the 20th century (photo 4)

Legend has it that “Bát xã Loa Thành” or also known as “Bát xã hộ nhi” are 8 ancient villages in Cổ Loa area. When the Kinh An Dương relocated the Imperial City and built the citadel, he entrusted the eight villages a task of serving and protecting the Court. The 8 villages located within the same geographical area and historical-cultural space all participate in the festival and belief practices worshipping the King An Dương.

Map of the intangible cultural heritage of Cổ Loa festival at the 8 villages of the Cổ Loa Citadel

The good customs, practices, and craft villages, which are associated with the Cổ Loa festival, are kept and passed down from generation to generation, the typical of which are the customs of eating Sêu bà Chúa; khất keo làm quan đám (Begging Yin and Yang for being chosen as a festival representative), đãi dâu không đãi rể (well treating the daughter-in-law, not the son-in-law), making Mạch Tràng noodles, bỏng Chủ and so on

Offering ceremony on the day of eating Sêu bà Chúa on August 13 (lunar calendar) at the Temple of Mỵ Châu Princess

The Cổ Loa Citadel area is a diverse and unique one with three value systems: History - Humanities - Ecology, which blend together and form a unique symbiotic complex. The human community living at Cổ Loa through many generations has been the main human force who looks after and preserves the tangible and intangible heritage of the ancient Cổ Loa Citadel. Cổ Loa has integrated with Hà Nội and the whole country in the movement of the whole population build New Rural Areas, gradually planning for the future. The Cổ Loa appearance is increasingly changing to be more spacious and modern on the basis of always preserving the traditional values

Exhibition House of Cổ Loa site area

Overall plan for preservation, restoration, and valorization of the value of the Cổ Loa Citadel area (scale 1/2,000)

Cổ Loa Citadel at present

Source: Management Board of Cổ Loa site area