Published:  17:49 Thursday - December 08, 2011

Hoang De citadel was the last capital of the Champa Kingdom where the Cham Kings lived between the 11th and the 15th centuries. Several pieces of stone walls, moats, and granite-tiled roads remain from the Citadel.

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Location Located at 27km north-west of Qui Nhon City in Nhon Hau Commune, An Nhon District, Binh Dinh Province.
Characteristics: The citadel was built at the end of the 10th century, during the reign of Emperor Yangpuku Vijaaya.

Hoang De Citadel

This was the last capital of the Champa Kingdom where the Cham Kings lived between the 11th and the 15th centuries. Several pieces of stone walls, moats, and granite-tiled roads remain from the Citadel.

statues of small lions

Inside the Citadel, there are ancient Cham remains, such as square wells and statues of small lions and elephants. Next to the back door is Thap Thap Hill (Ten Tower Hill), on which there are ten Cham Towers. Of note is the 20m-high Canh Tien Tower with white-stone statues of a snake, two elephants, and monsters on the corners. There are many remains and objects related to Cham culture and the Tay Son movement in Thap Thap Di Da Pagoda and Nhan Thap Pagoda, two ancient pagodas situated to the north and south of the citadel.

In 1778, Nguyen Nhac proclaimed himself the Central Emperor. He established the capital, which he named Hoang De Citadel, expanded the citadel to the east, and built many grand monuments. In 1799, the citadel was occupied by the Nguyen Dynasty, and rebaptized Binh Dinh Citadel. In 1814, the Nguyen Dynasty destroyed the old citadel and built a new one about 5km south of the old citadel.