Quan Chuong is one in every of the eastern gates of the earthen fortifications surrounding Thang Long Citadel. Built within the tenth 12 months of the reign of Le Canh Hung (1749) and renovated within the third 12 months of the reign of Gia Long (1817), it stays intact to at the present time. It is one in every of the 21 gates of the old Thang Long Citadel, a national monument inscribed in 1995.
Today, almost the entire remaining gates are remembered only from the names of some geographic entity standing of their place or from historical records.
For example, Cho Dua Gate is now the name of a bazaar, and Cau Giay Gate was referred to as the name of a brick bridge that crossed the Lich River, with nothing resembling any of the traditional structures. Fortunately, Hanoi still has its gate almost intact; Quan Chuong.
Fortunately, Hanoi still has its gate almost intact; Quan Chuong. Located at the tip of O Quan Chuong Street, Quan Chuong Gate opens to the embankments of the Red River and Hang Chieu Street beyond.
It has the shape of a dome, with a watchtower on the highest. The Palatine Gate once had double, thick picket doors that closed at night and opened early within the morning for people to enter and leave the town.
Despite the ups and downs of history, the Quan Chuong Gate still stands solemnly, preserving for Hanoi an easy but precious structure that has witnessed times of peace and war.
On the left is a stele carved in 1882 with instructions from the town’s governor, Hoang Dieu, ordering gatekeepers to not force funeral processions to go through the gate. In addition to the big passage, the gate also has two small doors on the edges.
Above the big door is the inscription “Thanh Ha Gate”. This was the unique name of the gate since it opened to the village of Thanh Ha on the bank of the To Lich River, where it flowed into the Red River. The village today covers the realm of Hang Chieu, Thanh Ha and Dao Duy Tu streets.
The gate took on its current form in 1817 during an intensive reconstruction. At that point, it was still called Thanh Ha Gate. Quan Chuong was the officer accountable for the town guard.
On November 20, 1873, the French attacked Hanoi for the primary time. Warships approaching from the ocean upstream brought firepower and powerful troops, which immediately stormed the gate. Quan Chuong and over 100 city guards fought fiercely until the last one fell. Since then, Thanh Ha Gate has been called Quan Chuong Gate.
After occupying Hanoi, the French ordered the destruction of old buildings as a way to expand the town. Almost all the pieces around was even. However, the chief of Quan Chuong Canton, Dao Dang Chieu, led the local people’s campaign against the destruction of the gate. They flatly refused.
They flatly refused to sign an agreement that might have made the destruction legal. It is due to their strong will that the town has preserved this priceless architectural monument.
In 2009, the United States donated $74,500 to Vietnam for the upkeep of the Quan Chuong Gate.
U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Michael W. Michalak said: “The Quan Chuong Gate is an astonishingly beautiful architectural relic that has been eroded by time. It is not only the iconic gate of the ancient Thang Long citadel, but also a symbol of the spirit and resilience of the people of Hanoi.”
Source : Vietnam Heritage | Vietnam Network
