Hanoi (VNA) – Ten years after earning UNESCO’s recognition as a WorldHeritage site, the Thang Long Imperial Citadel has gradually gained popularityamong both domestic and foreign tourists and served a venue for many majorcultural events of Hanoi capital city.

Over the past decade, the dissemination of information onthe citadel has been promoted in diversified forms, such as through exhibitionsand on websites and social networks, thus helping bring the heritage closer tothe public.

The Thang Long Imperial Citadel Conservation Centre has paidattention to activities to increase the quality of services such as building aninformation and reception system, improving the quality of guides, upgradinginfrastructure, and popularising the heritage at schools.

To turn the citadel into a bright spot in terms of heritagevalue promotion, the centre approved two projects on preserving and promotingthe value of the ancient citadel relic site and the Co Loa relic site.

To mark the 10th anniversary of UNESCO’srecognition of the citadel as world cultural heritage, a wide range ofactivities will be organised on November 21-23 in the capital city, with themain celebration ceremony taking place at Kinh Thien Palace on November 23.

An evening tour named “Decoding the Imperial Citadel ofThang Long” is scheduled to be launched later this year, promising uniqueexperience for visitors to the world heritage site in Hanoi.

According to the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage ConservationCentre, travellers will begin their tour at Doan Mon (Main Gate), the entranceto Cam Thanh (Forbidden area) - the king’s residence, and learn about thesite’s history, architecture and functions there.

They will later enjoy an old dance right on the glasscovering the archaeological excavation area and gain an insight into this dig,which contains vestiges of the Ly, Tran, and Le dynasties, via tour guides’introduction.

After visiting the exhibition hall of rare antiquities withsome dating back over 1,000 years, tourists can take part in a game in whichthey have to identify typical objects of feudal dynasties in the past.

In this tour, they will have a chance to visit Tunnel T1,which served as the combat command headquarters of the General Staff of theVietnam People’s Army during the resistance war against the US, in the citadel.

At Kinh Thien Palace, travellers can offer incense to KingLy Thai To, who moved the country’s capital from Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh provinceto Dai La which he renamed Thang Long 1,010 years ago, as well as other kingscontributing to the capital’s development.

The last destination of this trip is the archaeological siteat No. 18 Hoang Dieu street, where visitors will experience a laser light showof outstanding antiquities of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel.

The evening tour, organised by the Thang Long - HanoiHeritage Conservation Centre and the Hanoitourist travel company, is hoped tobecome a unique tourism product for the city in the time ahead.

The Thang Long Imperial Citadel was built in the 11thcentury by the Ly dynasty, marking the independence of the Dai Viet. Thecentral area of the citadel was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site onJuly 31, 2010.

Kinh Thien Palace is a main building in the central sectorof the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, which is located in what is now downtownHanoi. It sits in the centre of the complex, facing Doan Mon (south gate) andFlag Tower.

The palace was built in 1428 and believed to be of highestimportance, hosting many royal ceremonies. It was also in this palace thatroyal audiences were invited to discuss national issues.

The palace, however, was almost destroyed at the end of the19th century by the French, and what remains today is a 100 cm-high banister tothe south of the plot and several large stone steps with dragon carvings./.