Not only that, this place also leaves an impression on visitors with its unique architectural works. You can also admire the preserved and conserved antiquities and participate in traditional festivals. Let’s explore this special historical citadel with Origin Vietnam.
1. Where is Co Loa Citadel?
Co Loa Citadel is located in Co Loa commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi city, Vietnam. It is about 15 km north of Hanoi city center and only about 20 km southeast of Noi Bai international airport.
2. How is Co Loa Citadel unique?
Co Loa Citadel was built in the 3rd century BC, and is the oldest citadel in Vietnam. Inside Loa Citadel, there is also a system of intangible cultural heritage for visitors to explore and admire. The citadel was the capital of Au Lac at that time and is associated with the Vietnamese legend of An Duong Vuong, the Golden Turtle crossbow as well as the tragic love story of My Chau – Trong Thuy.
Co Loa is the largest and most unique citadel in Vietnam in terms of scale and structure. In the relic site, there are currently about 60 ancient relics, of which 7 are ranked at the national level. In addition, this place is also preserving a system of intangible cultural heritage including unique folk customs and festivals, traditional craft villages and typical culinary culture.
Especially, Co Loa Citadel is an attractive destination for tourists because of its ancient beauty and profound historical significance. With its sophisticated architectural style, Loa Thanh takes you back to the past with famous historical events. Today, the Co Loa Citadel relic not only has great cultural and historical significance but is also an attractive tourist destination on the outskirts of Hanoi.
3. When is the best time to visit Co Loa Citadel?
If you only want to visit and explore Co Loa Citadel, you can go at any time of the year. You just need to arrange your free time or choose a nice day to come here. If not, you can refer to some of the following suggestions:
- According to the experience of traveling to Co Loa Citadel, the most ideal time to travel here is in the Fall and Spring. During this time, the weather becomes cool and pleasant, sunny but not too harsh and there is little rain. It is convenient for you to move, explore and participate in outdoor activities.
- The Co Loa Festival is held on January 5-6 (lunar calendar) to honor the merits of An Duong Vuong, the founder of Au Lac state and the one who built the Co Loa citadel.
- If you want to admire the beautiful natural scenery when the royal poinciana and purple-flowered flowers bloom, you can come to Loa Thanh in the summer.
- Right in the center of Co Loa, there is Sa market, a fairly old market, held every 5 days on the 1st, 6th, 11th, 16th, 21st, 26th (lunar calendar) of each month. The market usually opens at 5am, but at 3am, the market is already bustling with buyers and sellers.
Each season will bring its own feelings and experiences to visitors.
4. How to get to Co Loa citadel?
Only about 15 km from the center of Hanoi, traveling to Co Loa is relatively easy and convenient. Starting from Hanoi, you can choose the following means of transport to get to the ancient citadel:
4.1 By personal vehicle:
4.1.1 By private car:
With a private car, depending on the starting location, you can go to Co Loa via Thang Long, Nhat Tan, or Chuong Duong bridges. Through any bridge, you just follow the extended route of National Highway 5, turn to National Highway 3. From here, you continue for just over 1 km to reach the center of Co Loa commune.
4.1.2 By motorbike:
With a motorbike, for safety, you should go in the direction of Long Bien or Chuong Duong bridges. Because this route has a low traffic speed, there are not many cars like the other bridge directions. To the other side of Gia Lam, you go in the direction of Dong Tru bridge, cross the bridge and turn in the direction of Dong Hoi. When you reach National Highway 3, turn right and go a few hundred meters, you will see a sign to Co Loa.
4.2 By public transport:
4.2.1 By bus:
With a network of bus routes running throughout Hanoi, traveling to most locations in the capital by this means is quite convenient and easy. The closest bus route to the Co Loa relic site is route 46 My Dinh Bus Station – Co Loa. This route stops right on Co Loa Street and you only need to walk a few hundred meters to get there.
Depending on your departure location, choose the appropriate bus route to get to My Dinh and then transfer to another bus. In addition, you can refer to some bus routes: 43, 15, 17, 59 to get to this famous relic site in the suburbs.
4.2.2. By taxi
If you are traveling in a small group and only want to visit Co Loa for a short time. You can hire a taxi to travel because the total distance for both ways is less than 40 km, the taxi fee is not too high.
5. Opening hours and entrance fees of Co Loa Citadel
To visit Co Loa Citadel in Dong Anh, Hanoi. You need to know the opening hours as well as the entrance fees:
5.1 Opening hours:
- From 08:00 to 17:00, weekdays.
5.2 Entrance fees:
- For adults: 10,000 VND/turn.
- For students and the elderly: 5,000 VND/turn.
- The children and meritorious people: Free.
6. History of Co Loa Citadel – Dong Anh
The land where An Duong Vuong built the Co Loa Citadel was formed a long time ago. And it carries its own stories through each historical period:
- Prehistoric period: From about 20,000 years ago to 11,000 years ago, the Co Loa area was home to primitive groups of the Son Vi culture (post-Stone Age period).
- Au Lac period: An Duong Vuong chose the Co Loa area to build the capital of Au Lac. This is the largest and earliest established ancient city in Southeast Asia.
- Northern domination period: Co Loa Citadel no longer plays the role of the country’s political center but has become a district in the administrative system of the Northern feudal dynasty.
- Ngo Quyen period: After the victory over the Han invaders on the Bach Dang River in 938, Ngo Quyen restored national independence, ascended the throne and established the capital in Co Loa.
- From the 11th to the 18th century: Co Loa Citadel no longer holds the position of the country’s political center but gradually ruralized with hamlets and villages.
- From the 19th century to the present: During the resistance war against France and the US, Co Loa played an important role and was a solid rear for the southern front. Today, Co Loa is in the process of developing a new economy, becoming a tourist destination on the outskirts of Hanoi. It attracts a large number of visitors to visit and at the same time preserves and honors traditional cultural values.
7. Value and significance of Co Loa citadel
In the past, Co Loa citadel was built on a large scale with a solid and unique structure. The ancient citadel played an important role for the Au Lac country in terms of military, culture and society:
- In terms of military: Co Loa citadel with solid walls, deep and wide moats and ramparts. It was a solid defensive base to protect the king, the court and the capital in the war against foreign invaders.
- In terms of culture: Co Loa citadel is one of the oldest citadels still in existence and is a precious cultural heritage of the Vietnamese people. The citadel is a testament to the creativity, technical level and culture of the ancient Vietnamese people. It is shown through the unique and complex architecture of the citadel’s edge, moat, and ramparts.
- About society: Co Loa Citadel distributed residential areas for kings, mandarins and soldiers, separate from the people. This clearly shows the social stratification, the beginning of the formation of clearer classes compared to the Hung King period.
8. Discovering the unique architecture of Co Loa Citadel
Based on the evidence and results of archaeological research, Co Loa Citadel is considered to be the citadel with the most unique structure in the history of the Vietnamese people. The structure of Co Loa Citadel was built by the method of digging the ground, digging the moat and filling the ground there. From the remaining relics, the citadel is identified as having 3 spirals as follows:
8.1 Outer wall
The outer wall of Co Loa Citadel is a closed wall connecting natural mounds. According to archaeological sections, the base of the citadel has a layer of stone and a layer of clay above. The outer wall was originally about 7,880m long, 3-4m high and 13-20 m wide, but many sections have been destroyed.
8.2 Central wall
The central wall of Co Loa citadel is a closed wall with no definite shape. This wall was built by connecting natural mounds and following the shoreline of the surrounding lake. The central wall is about 6,310m long, 6-12m high and about 20m wide.
8.3 Inner wall
The inner wall of the Co Loa citadel is rectangular, built in four main directions: South, North, West, East. However, the citadel only has the main gate opening to the South. Around the inner wall, there are 12 symmetrical mounds of earth called Hoa Hoi. Each horizontal wall has 02 Fire Returns, and each vertical wall has 04 Fire Returns. The Inner Citadel Wall is about 1,730m long, 5m high and about 20m wide.
9. Sightseeings at Co Loa citadel
Inside the Co Loa citadel today is a peaceful village scene. And temples, communal houses, pagodas, shrines and temples. These are ancient religious architectural works, it brings you many attractive experiences during the tour.
9.1 An Duong Vuong Temple (Upper Temple)
The temple of King An Duong Vuong, also known as the Upper Temple, was built on a high hill – where the king’s palace was in the past. The relic of the Upper Temple of Co Loa citadel has a large scale including many splendid and solemn architectural works. Such as: outer gate, inner gate, upper dragon yard, front hall, square court, rear palace, … Inside the rear palace is a bronze statue of King An Duong Vuong dating back to 1897.
9.2 Jade Well of Co Loa citadel
In front of the Upper Temple area is a large circular lake. With a natural curve, lined with stones and surrounded by paths and rows of cool green trees. According to folklore, this is where Princess My Chau and her husband Trong Thuy often went boating before the invasion war of Trieu Da. In the middle of this blue lake is Ngoc Well. This is a popular sightseeing and sightseeing spot for many tourists because of its peaceful and quiet space.
9.3 Am Ba Chua (My Chau Temple)
Am My Chau, also known as Am Ba Chua or My Chau Temple, is located to the west of Ngu Trieu Di Quy communal house. Inside the temple are the altar, the throne and the stone statue of Princess My Chau. The structure has profound spiritual value with the meaning of remembering the unfortunate princess.
9.4 Dinh Ngu Trieu Di Quy (Co Loa Communal House)
Co Loa communal house is located in the middle of the Inner Citadel, about 300m east of An Duong Vuong Temple. In front of the communal house is a large yard, on the left is a path leading straight to the front of My Chau temple. The building is marked by its ancient space and elaborately carved wooden structure. In the middle of the communal house is a large altar with a throne to worship An Duong Vuong and below is a tablet to worship General Cao Lo – the person who made the magic crossbow.
9.5 Diem Xom Cho
Diem Xom Cho is located in the southeast of Co Loa citadel and is a place to worship the local gods, the local gods, the land gods and the water gods. The temple still has a round-mouthed ancient well and a large old banyan tree in front of the yard. Diem Xom Cho is a meeting place, organizing many cultural and artistic events for the residents of the village. And it is also a place visited by many tourists every time they come to Co Loa citadel.
9.6 My Chau Tomb
According to legend, after My Chau was beheaded by her father, Trong Thuy brought his wife’s body back to bury her. The tomb was built simply with a square high ground and surrounded by brick walls.
9.7 Exhibition area of archaeological artifacts and relics
The exhibition house at Co Loa citadel is an attractive place for visitors to admire many valuable ancient artifacts and relics. Which have been excavated in the relic area. When you come here, you will admire the map of the ancient citadel and many precious artifacts dating back thousands of years. Such as: Co Loa bronze arrows, Co Loa crossbow triggers, Lien Chau divine crossbows, Co Loa bronze drums, spear blades, bronze axes, bronze plowshares collection, Co Loa mold collection, etc.
9.8 Cao Lo Temple
Cao Lo Temple is a place to commemorate the great contributions of the talented general Cao Lo under King An Duong Vuong. He was the direct commander in the construction of Loa Citadel and also the author of the Divine Crossbow.
10. Participating in the Co Loa citadel festival
- Location: Thuong temple relic of Co Loa citadel.
- Time: January 5th and 6th every year.
The Co Loa Festival is solemnly held every year to honor and commemorate the merits of King An Duong Vuong. He founded the Au Lac state and built the Co Loa citadel. The festival atmosphere is solemn and respectful with many traditional rituals. Such as: the custom of offering gifts, presenting gifts to the king, worshiping the Thuong temple, carrying a palanquin around the crescent lake through Ngu Trieu Di Quy communal house and My Chau hermitage.
In addition, the festival also has many exciting activities with the participation and response of a large number of people and tourists. Such as: Tuong performances, water puppetry, Quan Ho singing, crossbow shooting, human chess, wrestling, swinging, throwing con, cockfighting and smashing clay pots, etc.
11. Specialties when visiting Co Loa citadel
11.1 Bun Mach Trang (Mạch Trang rice noodles)
When coming to Co Loa citadel, you should not miss the opportunity to enjoy Bun Mach Trang – a famous delicacy of Mach Trang and Dong Anh villages. Mach Trang vermicelli is larger than regular vermicelli, slightly opaque in color and has a characteristic crunchy and chewy texture.
11.2 Co Loa clam porridge
Near the ancient citadel area, there are also many restaurants and drink stalls for you to choose from. Among them, Co Loa clam porridge sold in the market is a famous dish that makes many diners “miss” it.
The main ingredient of the porridge is clams caught from the Hoang Giang River, chewy, fatty and very sweet. The porridge is often eaten with fried dough sticks and pickled eggplant, both to prevent boredom and to enhance the flavor.
12. Accommodation when visiting Co Loa Citadel
When visiting Co Loa Citadel, you can refer to some of the following accommodations:
- Diamond Westlake Suites Hotel Hanoi. Address: No. 96 To Ngoc Van Street, Tay Ho District, Hanoi City.
- Pan Pacific Hanoi Hotel. Address: No. 1, Thanh Nien Street, Tay Ho District, Hanoi City.
- Sheraton Hanoi Hotel. Address: K5 Nghi Tam, 11 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho District, Hanoi City.
- Sunset Westlake Hanoi Hotel. Address: No. 491 – 493, Lac Long Quan, Tay Ho District, Hanoi City.
- Paloma Hanoi Hotel. Address: 70 Xuan Dieu, Tu Lien Ward, Tay Ho District, Hanoi.
- Intercontinental Westlake Hanoi Hotel. Address: No. 1A, Nghi Tam, Tay Ho District, Hanoi City.
- Thang Loi Hanoi Hotel. Address: 200 Yen Phu Street, Tay Ho District, Hanoi.
- Fraser Suites Hanoi. Address: 51 Xuan Dieu, Quang An Ward, Tay Ho District, Hanoi.
13. Some other activities and famous tourist attractions near Co Loa Citadel
13.1 Other activities:
After visiting Co Loa Citadel, you can refer to some of Origin Vietnam’s activities in Hanoi:
- Viewing Hanoi from above at Lotte Center Hanoi.
- Watching the Thang Long Water Puppet Show.
- Viewing Hanoi with Hanoi hop-on hop-off double-decker bus ticket.
13.2 Some other famous tourist attractions near Co Loa Citadel
Co Loa Citadel is located quite close to famous tourist attractions in Hanoi. Therefore, you can completely combine many attractions in one day. After visiting Co Loa Citadel, you can visit:
13.2.1 Hanoi Opera House
The Hanoi Opera House is a theater designed and built by the French in 1901. The Opera House is located on August Revolution Square, simulating the architecture of the Opera Garnier in Paris. This is one of the most beautiful check-in coordinates in the capital Hanoi.
13.2.2 Hanoi Cathedral
The Hanoi Cathedral is the oldest Catholic church in Hanoi. Not only possessing an ancient beauty, the Cathedral is also a familiar place for religious, spiritual activities and entertainment of the people of Hanoi.
13.2.3 Hanoi Old Quarter
You can end your tour of Co Loa Citadel by visiting the Old Quarter next to Hoan Kiem Lake. When you come here, you will discover the lifestyle, culture as well as the unique culinary art of the elegant Trang An people. In addition, the mossy walls in the Old Quarter will also be an extremely artistic “virtual living” background for check-in enthusiasts.
14. Some important notes when visiting Co Loa Citadel
Some necessary notes when visiting Loa Citadel to help you have a more meaningful and complete trip:
- Dress: Choose polite clothes, visitors should not wear clothes or skirts that are too short.
- Attitude when visiting: Do not speak loudly, do not make noise to affect the tranquility of the relic as well as other visitors.
- Respect historical relics: When visiting, follow the rules and instructions of the management agency to protect the relic.
- Keep clean: Do not litter to keep the relic site clean and beautiful.
Visiting Co Loa Citadel is a great experience for visitors who love history and culture. When you come to Co Loa Citadel, you will not only return to the past, learn about profound historical knowledge but also enjoy the peaceful feeling in the ancient setting.
Contact Origin Vietnam – a professional tour operator. For more updated and useful information about other beautiful destinations in Hanoi. We will accompany you on your journey to explore the Vietnam tour in the capital Hanoi with interesting activities and unforgettable memories.
