Hoa Lu - The 10th Century Capital of Vietnam - An Abandoned City by the Sea
Dublin Core
Title
Hoa Lu - The 10th Century Capital of Vietnam - An Abandoned City by the Sea
Description
The research aims to understand the impact of sea recession on the rise and fall of the Hoa Lu ancient capital city
of Vietnam during the 10th
-11th centuries. This is done by placing the city in its coastal context, which has been
neglected in previous studies. Hoa Lu is currently the core zone of the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Trang An
Landscape Complex, located 92km south of Hanoi. It was only used for 42 years (968-1010 CE) as the capital city
of the Dai Viet Kingdom before the capital was moved to Thang Long (present-day Hanoi). We believe that one
of the main reasons for this move was the sea recession. The available resources for this research include historical
documents; geographical surveys using old maps and LiDAR images; archaeological surveys including surface
ceramic collections and archaeological excavations. The research questions include: How did the sea and its
recession affect the landscape change of the region in the 10th
-11th centuries? How did it influence the water
management system and the plan of the city? How did it affect the economic activities of the city? The results of
the research project will give a more comprehensive understanding of the landscape of the region, including ancient
shorelines located south of the city. The sea recession could be the reason why the 10th century seaport of Hoa Lu
was abandoned, leading to the capital's move to Thang Long. Although there have been some good results in the
early stages of the project, further research and collaboration with international researchers from various
disciplines are still needed.
of Vietnam during the 10th
-11th centuries. This is done by placing the city in its coastal context, which has been
neglected in previous studies. Hoa Lu is currently the core zone of the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Trang An
Landscape Complex, located 92km south of Hanoi. It was only used for 42 years (968-1010 CE) as the capital city
of the Dai Viet Kingdom before the capital was moved to Thang Long (present-day Hanoi). We believe that one
of the main reasons for this move was the sea recession. The available resources for this research include historical
documents; geographical surveys using old maps and LiDAR images; archaeological surveys including surface
ceramic collections and archaeological excavations. The research questions include: How did the sea and its
recession affect the landscape change of the region in the 10th
-11th centuries? How did it influence the water
management system and the plan of the city? How did it affect the economic activities of the city? The results of
the research project will give a more comprehensive understanding of the landscape of the region, including ancient
shorelines located south of the city. The sea recession could be the reason why the 10th century seaport of Hoa Lu
was abandoned, leading to the capital's move to Thang Long. Although there have been some good results in the
early stages of the project, further research and collaboration with international researchers from various
disciplines are still needed.
Creator
Dr. Vo Thi Phuong Thuy
Publisher
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology
Date
2023
Language
English
Bibliographic Citation
Thuy, Vo Thi Phuong. 2023. “Hoa Lu - The 10th Century Capital of Vietnam - An Abandoned City by the Sea.” Edited by Jennifer Craig, Jay Mok, T. Kurt Knoerl, and Abhirada Komoot. In Proceedings of Fifth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Gwangju, The Republic of Korea, November 13-18 2023. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology. URL:https://apconf.omeka.net/exhibits/show/apconfproceedings/item/1935
Files
Citation
Dr. Vo Thi Phuong Thuy, “Hoa Lu - The 10th Century Capital of Vietnam - An Abandoned City by the Sea,” Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage Proceedings, accessed September 16, 2026, https://apconf.omeka.net/items/show/1935.