Dien Hai old Citadel in Danang city, Vietnam

Location: Dien Hai Citadel is situated in Thach Thang Ward, Hai Chau District,Da Nang.

Characteristics: The Dien Hai Citadel, built in 1813 in the twelfth year of Gia Long’s reign by Da Nang’s estuary, used to be considered as Dien Hai Fortress.


In the fifteenth year of Minh Mang’s reign, after being moved inland and rebuilt in brick on a high mount in 1823, in the fourth year of Minh Mang’s reign, The Dien Hai Citadel was given another name in 1835. In 1840, after looking over the Defenses of Da Nang, Deputy Minister of Labor Nguyen Cong Tru requested a stronger system for Dien Hai and An Hai Citadels.

In 1847, the seventh year of Thieu Tri’s reign, the edge of Dien Hai was widened to 556m with a wall 5m high encircled by a 3m deep channel. The citadel had two entrances, the main one leading to the south and the rest to the east. Inside, there was Hanh Cung (the royal step-over place), Ky Dai (high flagpole podium), a warehouse for food, an ammunition and 30 big canon emplacements. The citadel was made of brick in the square Vauban style of architecture.

Dien Hai Citadel has contributed an important donation to the defeat of the French invaders in Da Nang in 1858-1860. It represents tradition of the fight of Da Nang people and the nation in the relentless war opposed to the French colonialists to defend national independence and territory. To memorize a magnanimous period of the city’s history, an impressive statue of General Nguyen Tri Phuong was constructed.

Categorizing as a national historical relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information on 16th November 1998, Dien Hai Citadel had a stele erected on 25th August 1998.

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