Northern Gate Hanoi (Cua Bac) is the only remaining gate of Hanoi, located on Phan Dinh Phung Street, has experienced a tragic history with 2 battles to capture from the French colonialists. Currently, Cua Bac has become a tourist attraction and historical relic. That should not to be missed when traveling to Hanoi.
The thousand-year-old capital city of Hanoi possesses many attractive tourist attractions in terms of history, culture and cuisine. In particular, North Gate relic is one of the perfect attractions to learn about the history of Hanoi. Let’s learn more about Cua Bac relic in the article below.
1. Where is the Northern Gate?
North Gate or Main Northern Gate Hanoi is one of the five gates of the ancient citadel of Hanoi. Cua Bac relic is located on Phan Dinh Phung street, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi city. Cua Bac Citadel is a majestic architectural work, imbued with ancient vestiges over time, a monument symbolizing the cultural and historical values of Thang Long capital.
2. How Northern Gate Hanoi is unique?
Cua Bac, Hanoi is a work built in the early Nguyen Dynasty. The architecture of Cua Bac citadel is built in the form of a gazebo, including the upper floor and the rampart below. Cua Bac relic is also a work with a heroic history, going through 2 battles to capture by the French:
In 1873, the first French battle to capture Hanoi citadel took place. Captain Francis Garnier and the elite troops were dispatched to Hanoi by the Cochinchina Marshal. Faced with many demands of the enemy, Governor General Nguyen Tri Phuong did not respond. So on the night of November 19 and early morning, November 20, 1873, the French attacked and captured Governor-General Nguyen Tri Phuong, and Hanoi fell.
In 1882, the French army fought to capture Hanoi for the second time. The French army sent troops from Saigon along the waterway to the citadel of Hanoi. On the morning of April 25, 1882, Navy Captain Henri Rivière sent an ultimatum to Governor Hoang Dieu to surrender the citadel.
Governor-General Hoang Dieu decided to die to defend the citadel, so at 8:15 on April 25, 1882, the French attacked and approached Hanoi. Hanoi’s army and people fought bravely to repel the French, who had to retreat to consolidate their forces.
However, the incident caused the gunpowder warehouse in the city to explode, creating an opportunity for the French to invade the city. The intense war caused Governor Hoang Dieu to not be able to keep the citadel, so he dispersed the generals, apologized to the king, and then committed suicide.
3. What to visit when coming to Cua Bac citadel?
Experiencing two battles to capture by the French. But Cua Bac citadel was not destroyed & became a historical relic. It’s restored, preserved, and kept traces of war to this day. Currently, Cua Bac citadel has become a tourist attraction in Hanoi attracting many tourists to visit, take photos and learn about history.
3.1 Discover the remnants of war
The inside and outside of Cua Bac citadel still retain vestiges of war and a painful history of the nation. Among the remaining vestiges, two cannon marks more than 20cm deep on the wall are the clearest evidence of the invasion of the French colonialists. Also evidence of the spirit of resistance, not surrender of Hanoi’s army and people.
Next to the two cannon marks is a stone plaque in French 25 avril 1882: Bombarde de la citadelle par les canonnières “Surprise” et “Fanfare”. The meaning of this sign is “April 25, 1882: The shelling of the cannon boats “Surprise” and “Fanfare”
3.2 Burning incense in memory of the merits of the two Governors
The history of Cua Bac Hanoi is associated with two Governors, Nguyen Tri Phuong and Hoang Dieu. The merits of the two governors were recorded in bronze statues, named for the road running on both sides of the citadel and worshiped on the upper floor of Cua Bac citadel. Visiting Cua Bac Hanoi Private tour with Origin Travel, you can go up to the gazebo above the citadel to burn incense to commemorate the heroic merits of the two Governors for the nation.
3.3 Combined visit to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long
In particular, when coming to the relic of Cua Bac Ba Dinh in Hanoi. Travelling here you can combine visiting the relic of the North Gate of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. The relic area is recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage, including many relics containing cultural and historical values. Some attractions in the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long are:
- Archaeological site number 18 Hoang Dieu
- Hanoi flagpole
- Doan Mon
- Kinh Thien Palace
- House D67
- Hau Lau
4. Note when visiting Cua Bac scenic spot
Cua Bac belongs to the complex of Thang Long Imperial Citadel, so when choosing to visit here, you should keep a few notes in mind:
Time to visit Cua Bac and Thang Long Imperial Citadel usually takes about 1-3 hours. You can arrange a sightseeing schedule that combines nearby Hanoi tourist attractions.
- Visitors should choose neat and polite clothes or wear a red flag shirt with yellow star, ao dai.
- Use the tour guide service to have a suitable discovery route, learn details about the monument.
- Comply with the regulations set forth by the management board of the relic site.
- Do not use drones during visiting and learning about relics.
Hanoi tourism not only has historical relics but also many attractions showing the cultural and culinary characteristics of the capital such as 36 streets, Hoan Kiem lake, Ngoc Son temple,…
Cua Bac citadel is not only the only remaining gate of Hanoi, but also a symbolic work of history, demonstrating the heroism of Hanoi’s army and people against the invading French colonialists. Hope the article has helped you to know more information related to Cua Bac relic.
