The distinguished guests tour the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — State President Lương Cường and his spouse Nguyễn Thị Minh Nguyệt, together with King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium went for a tour of Thăng Long Imperial Citadel at noon on Tuesday as part of the latters’ state visit to Việt Nam.

The distinguished guests walked through the Đoan Môn gate (main gate) to visit the archaeological excavation site and stairways railed with stone dragons at the Kính Thiên Palace, which preserve numerous historical traces of the imperial citadel across different eras.

The delegation also visited the Thăng Long Imperial Palace’s treasures exhibition hall, which displays nationally recognised treasures, including precious metals and high-quality ceramics manufactured by the royal Thăng Long kilns for emperors, empresses, royalty, and imperial court functions.

Representatives of the Thăng Long-Hà Nội Heritage Conservation Centre guided President Cường, his spouse and the Belgian royal couple through Việt Nam's thousand-year history via preserved artifacts at the Imperial Citadel, a site that profoundly embodies the historical significance of the millennia-old capital. The ancient architectural structures, architectural remnants, and archaeological artifacts represent an invaluable source of pride for Thăng Long-Hà Nội specifically and Việt Nam as a whole.

The distinguished guests also got detailed explanation about the Kính Thiên Palace, once the most important structure in the ancient Thăng Long forbidden city, where the court conducted its most solemn ceremonies, received foreign envoys, and deliberated crucial state issues.

The Belgian King and Queen expressed their impression of the profound cultural and historical value of the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel, underscoring the significance of preserving and promoting each nation’s cultural heritage.

The tour aimed to introduce the Belgian royal couple to Việt Nam's beautiful history, culture, and hospitable people, thus fostering people-to-people exchanges and establishing foundations for expanded cooperation between the two nations across various domains.

The Thăng Long Imperial Citadel is an important surviving portion of the Forbidden City and Imperial Citadel of the historic Thăng Long capital. This massive architectural marvel, constructed by Vietnamese kings across multiple historical periods, stands as one of the most important monuments in Việt Nam's heritage system. UNESCO recognised the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2010, symbolising the centuries-long cultural and historical legacy of Đại Việt. The site served as the power centre for Vietnamese kings through the Lý, Trần, Early Lê, Mạc, and Lê Trung Hưng (The Later Lê) dynasties. — VNS