Son Tay Ancient Citadel
A laterite Vauban-style citadel of 1822 west of Hanoi, square, moated and largely intact.
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The citadel at Son Tay was built in 1822 under Minh Mang to guard the western approach to Hanoi, and it is unusual among Vietnamese citadels for its material: the walls are laterite, the red iron-rich stone quarried locally, rather than brick, which gives them their colour and their pitted surface. The plan is Vauban-style - a square of about four hundred metres a side with corner bastions, four gates and a wide moat still holding water - and much of the circuit survives with the gates and their vaults. The interior is now a public park, with the old flag tower and foundations of the halls.
What you actually see
- Laterite walls - red, pitted stone rather than brick.
- A Vauban-style square - about four hundred metres a side.
- Four gates and a water moat - largely intact around the circuit.
- A park inside - with the flag tower and hall foundations.
When to go
Year round. Half a day.
Honest expectations
Interior buildings are gone and what remains is walls, gates and open ground. Interpretation is limited and in Vietnamese. Son Tay is an ordinary town. Restoration has been uneven in places.
Nearby
Ba Vi national park is west; Duong Lam ancient village is close.
What to pack for Son Tay Ancient Citadel
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.