Imperial Citadels: China and Vietnam’s Shared Heritage Explored

via China Daily, 07 June 2024: The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long in Hanoi, a former seat of Vietnamese power, presents a rich opportunity for Sino-Vietnamese cooperation. Chinese archaeologist Wu Wei, invited by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, explores its links to China’s Forbidden City. This collaboration highlights the shared heritage and cross-cultural influences between the two nations, offering fresh insights into ancient palatial constructions and fostering mutual understanding.

Prototypes of the Forbidden City in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, and Fengyang county in Anhui province were constructed in the early Ming Dynasty before Beijing finally became its national capital, the focus of his studies.

Wu is concentrating on a new turf to get more inspiration. Another “Forbidden City”, about 2,400 kilometers to the south of Beijing and beyond the national border, offers an intriguing horizon for his journey exploring the evolution of imperial palaces.

By invitation of the Imperial Citadel Studies of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Wu has conducted comparative studies since 2023 on the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long in Hanoi. This provided him with a rare chance to join Vietnamese colleagues and have a panoramic view of archaeological materials stretching back almost one millennium.

The citadel was the central seat of Vietnamese imperial power from the 11th century to the 18th century. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010 on the 1,000th anniversary of its construction.

Source: Decoding a soaring dragon – Chinadaily.com.cn