Story 3. Cong Uan Ly moved the capital

In days of spring, 1010 Thai To Ly king and some courtiers went to his hometown on a ship. They went from Hoa Lu capital (Ninh Binh province) to Co Phap (now, Bac ninh province) on a ship. The king had delight as he saw the country seemed to change better. Fields were green and were going to give great harvests. Whenever, the ship arrived to a port, the king stopped to go on ground and had sightseeing and asked people about their lives. When the ship came to “Đông Bộ Đầu” port which was outside of Dai La citadel, the ship stopped, the king went on and realized Dai La was crowded place with convenient transportation. Dai La had been headquater of government when the country had been dominated by another country. Its name had been Tong Binh, had been rebuilt and repaired many times. Especially, it was repaired carefully when Cao Bien was the manager (See more about CaoBien here). The visit gave the king a deep thinking. Though the king had left Dai La and came to his hometown, he still couldn’t relax his mind.

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When the travel finished, the king came back Hoa Lu. That time, he and some courtiers spent few days climbing up to the tops of highest mountains and observed around. Meanwhile, the king observed the country with another position; he now was not a general but he was a leader who would lead the country on right way.

Hoa Lu was place which was surrounded by high mountains. It was the best place if he wanted a defensive fortress but now it was unnecessary for a country which was developing. On other side, Dai La was a city which had developed for many years while the country was being dominated. Dai La had become the center of politic, economy and culture. He spent nights thinking then had a decision that moving the capital.

Thai To Ly ordered his courtiers to invited Van Hanh (his teacher) coming to discuss. They discussed until midnight. Van Hanh left the room to take a rest while the king was still in the room to write a decree. When the decree had been written that also was the next morning. In the decree the king confirmed that:

“Dai La is old castle of Cao Bien. It stands in the center of of heaven and earth. One side abuts with mountain and one side abuts with river it is too convenient for trade. Besides, it is a broad and high area that people living in which have never known what is flooding. After considering over Dai viet, I think no where can become the new capital but Da La.

I want to move the capital to the place. What do you think?”

All mandarins agreed and said that: “My king, you because of people make this plan. It will help our country develop, help many people be rich and have great lives. That is good thing. We will follow you, my king”.

The king was satisfied, he ordered people to start.

The king asked people to come to Dai La and measured. They drew an architecture map of Dai La which expressed each house, each road, each port… Then the king ordered soldiers to go and started to prepare all thing. They built a baked brick factory and wood factory, then the works, leveling, cleaning rivers, canals, and building were done inturn.

The new capital was built three layers. The outermost layer was called “Kinh thành” (or “La thành”), the next layer was “Hoàng thành” (or “Thăng Long thành”), and the last layer was “Cấm thành” (or “Long thành”) where the king would lived.

“Kinh thành” (Kinh thanh) was very large and was surrounded by three rivers that were Tô, Nhị (now it is called Hong) and Kim Nguu. They became natural trenchs protecting Kinh thanh. Kinh thanh had four main gates. Those were Trieu Dong (Triều Đông) in the north, Tay Duong (Tây Dương) in the west, Truong Quang (Trường Quảng) in the south,Van Xuan (Vạn Xuân) in the east. That outmost area was where focused normal people, traders and craftsmans. They came there to live and trade and made the area become the the most prosperous area in the country.

Hoang thanh the next layer was built by baked bricks and was cladded by marbles. Kinh thành was surrounded by deep moat and people could get in by the way go on bridges. The east of Hoang thanh was place Nhi river went past and flowed into Dam Dam lake (now West lake) and To Lich river and that had Tuong Phu (Tường Phủ) gate. The other gates were Quang Phuc (Quảng Phúc) in the west, Dai Hung (Đại Hưng) in the south, Duc Dieu (Đức Diệu) in the north. That area was place royals and powerful mandarin’s families lived. Besides, it placed headquarters of the army.

Long thanh, the last layer which the king and his family lived in. There built a complex castle with many halls and rooms as Can Nguyen (Càn Nguyên) where was the place the king and mandarins, generals discussed country’s problems; Tap Hien (Tập Hiền), the place mandarins had meetings and Giang Vo (Giảng Võ), the place general focussed. Of course, the castle had many rooms which were place the king, the queen and maids lived. The castle had circular roof architecture which was stood on big wooden pillars and were decorated by carved with patterns as dragon, fox, turtle and phoenix…

The building of capital was conducted in urgency and meticulousness. The baked brick factory had never stopped along the time the capital was built. Marbles, wood and lime stones were carried to by ships. Builders, carpenters, carvers in whole contry were grouped into there to work. Whatever construction which was complete it almost was used immediately. Therefore, in July, 1010 the king and courtiers went to a ship and started going to new capital. The ship followed rivers named Hoang Long (Hoàng Long), Day (Đáy), Chau Giang (Châu Giang) then went in Nhi (now Hong) to arrive to the capital. The travel took them three days. As the ship landed at the port that time was early morning.

The king went out apartment. He observed and enjoyed scenery. Then the king saw a cloud which looked like as a flying dragon. The king thought that was good sign so he decided named the new capital Thang Long (flying dragon).

The old capital was changed Truong Yen ( Trường Yên) and his hometown also changed Thien Duc (Thiên Đức).

Next kings of Ly dynasty continued building and repairing Thang Long and made it be more magnificent. They made Thang Long became the pride of country that time and a cultural heritage now.

THE END

"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

Read more:

Historical stories

Story 1. Cong Uan Ly, the first king of Ly dynasty

Story 2. Vạn Hạnh, a monk and an adviser of kings

Story 3. Cong Uan Ly moved the capital

Story 4: Thai Tong Ly, the kindness king

Story 5: Ceremony Dong Co

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Truyện cổ tích Việt Nam

Vietnamese fairy tales

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List of Vietnamese fairy tales

Vietnamese fairy tales includes many stories as Tam and Cam; So Dua; Hundred – knot- bamboo tree... which were spread in folk. Each stories has its own meaning. I think I can not translate exactly each word into english but I will try my best to convey its meaning to you. Hope you like them!

So dua - Coconut boy

Once upon a time, there in a village had a couple who worked as servants for a landlord. Although they were over fifty years old, they had ever not had a child. They were sad about that, but they had never given up to dream about a child. One day, it's a very hot day, when the wife was working in the field and felt very thirsty. She seeked for water, but she didn't see any but a little water in a skull which was in a hole beside an ancient tree. She had no choice but to drink it. Right the moment she drank, the feeling of cold water running from her throat to her stomach made her felt very comfortable. As a magic, she was pregnant after that short time. Then, the husband died before he got the happiness looking his child be born. After nine months and ten days, the wife gave birth a son but he didn't look like any child on the world. He had no feet, no leg, and even no body. He just had a head with full of eyes, nose, ear, hair and mouth on it. He didn't ugly but was ...

Thuong Luong

Thuong Luong was common name of creatures which are in people’s imagines. They are distant relatives of dragons. While dragons are worshiped as gods, the gods ruled rivers and sea and the gods can make rains, Thuong Luong is not respected as dragons that the creatures are too amorous, combative, wild, and have bad behaviors. All most of them like to harm people.

Tam and Cam

Once upon a time, there had a little girl named Tam. Her mother died early so her father decided to remarry on purpose the stepmother would take care of his little daughter. The stepmother gave birth to a girl, named Cam after that. Then, her father died after few years. Tam had to live with her stepmother and her sister, Cam. Since the time, she was forced to work hard, all housework, while Cam had to do nothing. One day, the stepmother gave Tam and Cam each one a corf to caught fish. She promised that who caught full her corf would receive a piece of red silk. Tam and Cam went to field together. She was hard to catch fish while Cam only wondered around till afternoon and had nothing in her coft. Cam pointed at Tam’s coft and realised it is full, thinking seconds, she said gently: “sister Tam, your head is mud, you should wash it or mother will punish you” Belive Cam, Tam went to river nearly. She left her corf on the shore, waded into water to wash. Cam, meanwhile, stayed on t...

Thanh Giong

Once upon a time, a woman was old but she had not given birth a child. One day, when she went to her field, she saw a stranger footsore on the ground. The big footsore made her surprise and said: “omg, this footsore is so big” the she put her foot into the footsore. More 9 months later, she gave birth to a little boy named Giong. The boy was extraordinary that he was over three years old but had not spoken. He only knew lying and smiling. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com That year, the enemies they were known An planed to attack the country of the boy. They were merciless. Wherever they had gone, houses were ruined, fields were fired, people were killed. The sight behind them is mess of corpse and blood and ashes.The King was worry he forced his servants to look for person who could fight against the enemies. One day, a servent went to Giong’s village while the woman was holding the boy in her arms, she said sadly that: “Giong, I wonder that when you hav...

The tale of "Banh Chung" and "Banh Day"

Once upon a time, that had a king who was so old so he wanted to abdicate. He had had few wives who had given bird twelve sons. All of his sons had grown up and also were great people. The King was confused about choosing. “All of them are talent people. It is so difficult that I can choose a person and nobody can be jealous” said the King. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com “My Lord the king, we can have a contest” said a servant. “Oh, it is a good idea but what is subject of the contest?” said the king “Meaning dishes, which we can put on ancestral altar” said the servant. “Great, let’s doing” said the king. The king called his son to come on and said: “My sons, I don’t have many time and I want one of you to become the king. Now, anybody who can find dishes which not only are delicious but still have great meaning to put on ancestral altar will become the king.”

The love story of Chuc and Nguu

Deeply in forest where rarely people stepped on there had a pond which were filled by cool clear water. The pond had never dried so that was where fairies used to gather. They often took water from the pond and sometime they waded in it to bath. And while they were bathing they always left their clothes on shore. Though, they had never been discovered by anyone who lived on ground. He, a woodcutter, lived alone in a hut standing by edge of forest. His name was Nguu. Everyday, he went in forest, cut down tree then brought it to market to sell. One day, he went in forest to deeply that he didn’t remember the way to get out the forest. It’s random he headed to the pond at the middle of forest. That time, three fairies were romping in the pond. And of course they were the most beautiful girls Nguu had ever seen so he immediately was enchanted their beauty. Then, he caught a plan that he wanted a fairy to be his wife. He saw sets of white clothes which were left on grass n...

The liar Cuội

A boy named Cuoi had lost his parent when he was child he lived with his uncle and aunt. He was co clever but used to lie and he always had his fun whenever people had been cheated. A landlord had heard about him but he didn’t think that he could lie him so he called him came and asked. “I hear you are very well in cheat. Now I sit at here, if you can make me go to the door I will give you this pocket of coins. People here will be witnesses for my words.”, said the landlord. Cuoi expressed as if he was feeling embarrassed. “You have prepared before you sit here so I can not make you go to the door. Now if you stand at the door I can make you come in.”, said Cuoi. The landlord thought what Cuoi had said was true so he stood up and sprinted to the door. But when he came to the door he saw Cuoi was laughing and clapping his hand. “I’ve cheated you.”, said Cuoi. The landlord lost for words and was forced to give him the pocket of coins. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.co...

Fairy Lieu Hanh

Ngoc Hoang, the king of gods in heaven, had a daughter, named Lieu Hanh. Lieu Hanh was fairy who was headstrong and usually didn’t obey rules in heaven. Ngoc Hoang had advised her many times but he still did what she wanted. Therefore, Ngoc Hoang decided to punish his daughter to teach her a lesson. One time, Lieu Hanh made a mistake, his father forced her to get down and lived on ground three years. Lieu Hanh transformed into a beautiful girl and built a hut, sold tea under Ngang pass after she landed on ground. The place was wild trees that grew up luxuriantly but the road leading from north to south crossed there so many travelers crossed there everyday. Besides, there had only a tea shop because others feared robbers and beasts around the place. Consequently, her tea shop was always crowded. Though Lieu Hanh was punishing, she was still arrogant and didn’t respect any rules. Therefore, people went in her hut, drank tea then went away without trouble, would have no harm...

Vietnamese fairy tales

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