The Imperial Citadel

old palace gate

Tang Long Citadel was the imperial palace of Vietnam's ruling Le Dynasty for hundreds of years. The citadel is now mostly in ruins, although some very impressive structures have been restored and archaeological research is ongoing. The citadel has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

gatehouse at the citadel

It was a hot, sticky afternoon when Pinky and I made our way on foot through the crowded streets of Hanoi to the Imperial Citadel. The grounds are huge and spacious, and surrounded by the leafy greenery of the old palace, the day felt just a bit cooler. Not many buildings remain of the original citadel. The Nguyen Dynasty moved the imperial capital to Hue in the 19th century, and the citadel fell into ruin, only to be destroyed further during the two Indochinese wars of the 20th century. An ongoing archaeological dig just across the street is working to recover old artifacts from the ancient citadel.

the Princess' Pavilion

But the few remaining palace buildings aren't the most interesting thing at the citadel. In my opinion, that would be Room D67, the secret underground bunker beneath the ancient palace walls from where North Vietnamese General Giang based his headquarters.

This secret bunker was only opened to the public for the first time in December, and it's such a fascinating piece of well-preserved history!

A set of steep narrow steps lead down beneath the walls. Past a thick metal door meant to withstand even a nuclear blast, the stairs open out into the bunker itself.

entrance to the secret bunker

The bunker is small, cramped and practical. From here, the North Vietnamese leadership planned their attacks during the Vietnam (or American) War.

war room

Another room, the command center, is full of important communications equipment. You can easily imagine the top generals sitting around this table planning their moves, while phones rang and telegraphs buzzed in the background.

secret underground bunker

The palace is beautiful, but the bunker was the most fascinating part of the visit to the citadel. It's an amazing and important piece of history. Although the room itself is very small, the decisions made here affected the course of the war, and greatly impacted 20th century world history.