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!

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...

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 ...

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Wishing pearl

De was a young boy. His parent was servants of a landlord. Every morning, De led landlord’s cattle to meadow and brought them back at nightfall. De used to be excited in playing with his fellows and when he was in his game he didn’t care anything. Many times the cattle he herded ate rice on field and the owners used to beat him pained but he still left cattle and joined in his fellows. One normal day, he and his fellows had a swimming competition. An award was given to the winner that he couldn’t refuse. Therefore, he participated in the competition and left his cattle on a wild hill. They swam and dived in water until noon and when they walked on ground, a cow had disappeared. The cow belonged to no one but his master. Children separated to find the cow but the cow seemed to vanish they couldn’t find it. Sun was going to down, children made their ways to home they left De staying at there. Day stayed at there alone crying. After that, he fell in sleep. Latter, he was woken up b...

The tale of waiting - husband stone

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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...

The Tale of Geckos

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The tale of watermelon

Once upon a time, a young man whose name was Mai An Tiem was a slave. He was sold to a King named Hung Vuong . Mai An Tiem was clever, he learned vietnamese language very fast. Futher , he knew so many stories, places and could do everything so good so he was liked by Hung Vuong very much that wherever Hung Vuong had come he also came with him. Three years later, he was Hung Vuong let to become a noble and was stayed in a building near the castle. Besides, Hung Vuong made his daughter become his wife. Mai An Tiem now had wife, a five-year-old son, servants and assets. He seemed to lack nothing. Although he had never been arrogant people still were jealous with his his luck. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com One day, people who were participating in a party complimented as much as they could but he only said: “That because of ...

Vietnamese fairy tales

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