Hanoi, November 4 (Prensa Latina) The ancient citadel of Son Tay, located about 40 kilometers west of this capital, is characterized by its high historical value and unique architecture.
Considered the most heavily fortified military bastion in the history of national defense, it was built in 1822 during the reign of Emperor Minh Mang under the Nguyen Dynasty and, despite its more than two centuries of existence, still retains many of its treasured features. Remains.
Son Tay covers an area of 16 hectares and was built entirely in laterite, a hardened residual soil typical of hot and humid areas, and in the architectural style of Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707).
Vauban, a military engineer to Louis XIV, occupies a prominent place in the history of military defense architecture and the influence of his works extended to the American continent, Russia, Turkey and the Far East.
To counter the power of the new weapons (cannons), the defensive walls of the fortifications he built were lower and wider and made of stone and sand, as they better absorbed the impacts of the projectiles.
Therefore, the citadel was designed with four entrances facing north, south, west and east, called the Back Gate (Hau), Front Gate (Tien), Right Gate (Huu) and Left Gate (Ta). . two of them are still intact.
It is also surrounded by a defensive moat and inside stands out the Kinh Thien Palace, which Emperor Minh Mang used during his travels throughout the country not only to rest but also to organize the sacrificial rites with which he invoked peace and prosperity the nation.
Son Tay has held the status of a national architectural and historical relic since 1994.
(Taken from Orb)