On the occasion of the death anniversary of King An Dương Vương (the 7th day of the third lunar month recorded in the book " Ngọc phả cổ lục ", the Management Department of Cổ Loa vestige site sends to readers the article ”An Duong Vuong – The King who founded the kingdom of Âu Lạc.

During the Hùng King period, Văn Lang country of Lạc Việt tribes consisted of 15 tribes, with the center in the northern mountainous region of the country. At the end of the Hùng Kings period, at the beginning of the third century BC, a large and powerful empire was unified in the North: the Qin Dynasty, waged a war of aggression with a large scale, the number of troops reaching 50,000, led by Đồ Thư, went to the South to "pacify Bách Việt". In the first 3 years, the Qin army captured the state of Chu, establishing 3 districts of Quế Lâm, Nam Hải and Tượng. But when proceeded down the South, which is the land of Tay Au (Au Viet), they faced many difficulties because they were not familiar with the land, lack of food, and were resisted by the Vietnamese people in the " sometimes to conceal, sometimes to reveal" style, so they did not can win and fall into the "dilemma".

Thục Phán was a leader of Tây Âu tribe in the northern area of Văn Lang at that time, and together with many chieftain of Tây Âu and Lạc Việt organized the resistance war against the Qin army. In 208 BC, the Qin dynasty had to withdraw from the army and retreat to keep the land of the 3 districts captured in the North.

During the resistance war against the Qin army, Thục Phán stood out as a talented leader who had great prestige for the whole of Tây Âu and Lạc Việt. In fact, the communities of Lac Viet and Tay Au residents have formed and become more solid through joining hands to fight the invaders. That created the basis for the birth of a new alliance - a new State, in which the leader with full talent and prestige is Thục Phán.

In 208 BC, Thuc Phan proclaimed himself King, founded Âu Lạc, followed the career of Hùng Kings- an event of special significance in the development process of the nation's history.

The kingdom of Âu Lạc is the merger of two tribes Lạc Việt and Âu Việt, not the result of a war of annexation. It represents a new development step of the ancient nation of the Vietnamese ethnic groups, a continuation at a higher level than Văn Lang state and also an indispensable requirement of history.

In this historical context, An Dương Vương with a strategic vision and strong determination to build and defend the country, decided to move the central position of the country from the old land of Hùng Kings to the the plains, larger and more favorable, established the capital, built a citadel to fight the enemy. That is the land of Cổ Loa today.

Cổ Loa is a highland area of the Red River Delta, then surrounded by large streams connecting the Red River and Cầu River. That is the Hoàng Giang River, whose traces are still clear today with sections called Thiếp River or ”Ngũ Huyện Khê” River (the river flows through 5 districts: Yên Lãng, Kim Anh, Đông Ngàn, Yên phong, Tiên Du). By waterway, you can go up to the North or Northwest, you can also go down to the Northeast or Southeast, and to the coastal areas.

Located in a rich and densely populated plain, water and land transportation is convenient, and the terrain is suitable for building citadels - an urgent requirement in the face of the threat of invasion by Triệu Đà, so Cổ Loa was chosen as the capital of Âu Lạc at that time.

With an extraordinary effort, An Duong Vuong and Au Lac army and people in a short time built a massive and unique citadel. An Duong Vuong - the commander and the designers knew how to make full use of the natural elements of the topography to create a deep moat citadel with enough favorable factors for defense and attack: advantageous marine and land traffic, inside and outside combined, we can advance and retreat quickly, the enemy is difficult to invade. That is the citadel that used to be called Oc citadel, Tu long citadel, Loa citadel or Co Loa citadel today.

Cổ Loa citadel, as the capital of Âu Lạc, also meant the political, economic and social center of the country at that time. With the unity of the army and people, the "Magic Crossbow" and that unique citadel, An Duong Vuong defeated the invading Triệu Đà army many times. 

MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT OF CỔ LOA VESTIGE SITE