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Located in Diên Khánh District (Khánh Hòa Province), the Diên Khánh Citadel was built in 1793 under the rule of Lord Nguyễn Phúc Ánh. It was officially recognized as a national historical site in 1988.
The Diên Khánh Citadel site
The Diên Khánh Citadel is a cultural and historical monument in Diên Khánh town, Khánh Hòa. Today, it retains much of its original architecture and is a captivating historical destination. After Nguyễn Huệ's death, the Tây Sơn dynasty began to weaken. Nguyễn Ánh marched to Diên Khánh and fortified the area as a strategic military base.
Originally, the citadel had six gates, but two of them, the left and right gates, were filled in 1823. Today, only four gates remain: East, West, South (Front), and North (Back). The citadel's architecture features high walls and deep moats, surrounded by dense greenery, and it was once a key military stronghold in the former defensive system of Khánh Hòa Province.
The gates of the Diên Khánh Citadel were designed in a uniform style, forming a structure approximately 15 meters long. The central archway spans 2.88 meters in width and rises 3.44 meters in height, creating a passage beneath. On either side of the gates, there are 3-meter-wide steps leading up to the top of the citadel's gates.
The design of the citadel
Above the gate, a square tower was constructed, each side measuring 3.30 meters, with four openings facing in all directions. At the top is a small upper floor with a curved roof covered in yin-yang tiles. The two sides of the gate are equipped with railings standing 0.85 meters tall. Connected to the four gates is a system of earth-built walls, about 3 meters high. The outer wall has a steep slope, while the inner side is more gradual, with steps leading up in certain areas.
The old citadel walls were once lined with dense thorny bamboo and other thorny plants. Outside the walls, there is a moat approximately 3 to 4 meters deep, with some sections reaching as deep as 5 meters. The width of the moat varies, being narrower at the corners of the citadel and widest in front of the gates.
The Diên Khánh Citadel also served as the administrative center of the Diên Khánh prefecture during the Nguyễn dynasty. Inside the citadel at that time were a flagpole, the royal palace, the military governor’s residence, the judicial officials’ residences, the general’s quarters, storage houses, and a prison.
Over time, the citadel walls were covered in moss and eroded, causing many sections of the earth walls and moat to disappear. In 2003, the Diên Khánh Citadel underwent restoration, with four gates repainted and certain sections of the walls reinforced. In 2010, Khánh Hòa Province continued a project to further preserve and restore the Diên Khánh Citadel.
According to Mytour.vn
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Reference: Mytour.vn Travel Guide
Mytour.vnJuly 5, 2024
