via Nhan Dan, 30 June 2020: The Ho Citadel (also a Unesco World Heritage Site) was restored with the help of the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation.
A ceremony to announce the completion of the restoration project of the southern gate of the Ho Dynasty Citadel in the north central province of Thanh Hoa, which was funded by the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), took place at the World Cultural Heritage site on June 29.
Built in 1397 under the Ho dynasty as the capital of Dai Ngu, the citadel is unique for its outstanding construction technique which used large blocks of stone, weighing from 10 tonnes to 26 tonnes each, carefully shaped, interlocked and elevated to about 10 meters high.
The citadel served as a military stronghold to protect the country from invasion, thus becoming a symbol of patriotism and national pride, and a witness of Vietnamese history during the late 14th and early 15th century. For the past six centuries, however, the forces of nature took its toll on the site.
Source: US-funded conservation project of Ho Dynasty Citadel completed – Nhan Dan Online
