Ly Thai To - Imperial Capital Relocation

Imperial Capital Relocation

Lý Thái Tổ is best known for relocating the imperial capital from Hoa Lư to Thăng Long (modern day Hà Nội) in 1010 AD. He is generally viewed as the founder of the city of Hà Nội. In 2010, the city of Hà Nội celebrated its 1000th anniversary and in honoring Lý Thái Tổ.

Although Hoa Lư was a strategic citadel surrounded by mountains and marshland that was difficult for invading armies to attack or conquer, Hoa Lư was geographically too small and difficult for commerce and urban development to flourish. Lý Công Uẩn, who had wished to implement civic development and economic growth within the realm, soon realized that Hoa Lư was not a suitable place for such aspirations. This prompted Lý Thái Tổ to move the capital to a more spacious landscaped settlement called Đại La, now Hà Nội. Đại La was an ideal location for the new capital since it was on flatland and surrounded by rivers and lakes, which was advantageous for transportation, commerce, and military mobilization. In 1010, he issued a royal decree called Edict on the Transfer of the Capital for moving the imperial capital from Hoa Lư to Đại La. While travelling from Hoa Lư to the imperial settlement, he claimed to have had a vision of "a yellow dragon ascending" which inspired him to change the new settlement's name from Đại La to Thăng Long which means "Ascending Dragon". Lý Công Uẩn also built Trường An Citadel in the former capital Hoa Lư to further fortify the garrison for military defense and Thiên Đức Citadel in Cổ Pháp village as a tributary honor to his childhood home town.