An excavation on the Hai Van Gate relic complex which sits atop its namesake mountainous pass in central Vietnam has unveiled a clear layout of the old foundations of citadel walls and a section of the north-south route.
An overall view of the Hai Van Gate complex at the top of the Hai Van Pass (Photo: VNA)
Da Nang (VNA) - An excavation onthe Hai Van Gate relic complex which sits atop its namesake mountainous pass,about 490m above sea level, in central Vietnam has unveiled a clear layout ofthe old foundations of citadel walls and a section of the north-south route.
Archaeologists from the National HistoricalMuseum and the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre have revealed the informationat a press conference on the initial excavation on the site.
The Hai Van Gate, situated on the border ofThua Thien-Hue and Da Nang city, had been in ruins for years due to weather. Itwas recognised as a national relic in 2017.
The excavation, which was begun on 900sq.min May, clearly identified the base level foundations of 1826-built two gates –at north and south – which were either changed of structure or damaged duringthe war (1946-1975).
Researchers also unearthed the originalboundary of the Hai Van Gate relic, which was overlapped by 1960s-built rockwalls and tunnels built by the French and the US soldiers during the French andthe American wars.
According to Director of the Hue MonumentsConservation Centre, Phan Thanh Hai, it’s an important discovery to mark theoriginal location of the old relic before restoration. Part of the structure ofthe relic was changed during the war when the French and the US troops builtbunkers at the site. Some new brick and rock walls, concrete roofs and steelladders were also built as an accommodation unit for the barracks.
The Hai Van Gate is located at the top of the 490m above sea level Hai Van Pass andholds profound historical, architectural and artistic value, connecting DaNang’s Lien Chieu district with Thua Thien-Hue’s Lang Co township, Phu Locdistrict.
The Hai Van Pass runs some 21km on the BachMa Range, which juts into the East Sea in central Vietnam.
The relic complex was built in 1826 underthe rule of the Nguyen dynasty’s King Minh Mang (1791-1841), who ordered theconstruction of multiple defensive structures on Hai Van Pass to protect thethen imperial capital of Vietnam in Hue. The structures includedfortifications, store houses and cannon forts.
According to historical records, afterbuilding the complex, King Minh Mang inscribed its name in Vietnamese - “HaiVan Quan” (Hai Van Gate) - on one side of the gate facing Hue Imperial Citadel,and the words “Thien ha de nhat hung quan” (the world’s most marvelous wonder)on the other side facing Da Nang.
The Hai Van Pass, 28km away from Da Nang and80km far from Hue city, is the only road allowing tankers or road adventurersto travel between Da Nang and Hue since the Hai Van tunnel became operationalin 2005.
The Hai Van Gate hosted 320,000 tourists in2017.-VNA
VNA
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An overall view of the Hai Van Gate complex at the top of the Hai Van Pass (Photo: VNA)