Recently updated on December 2nd, 2019 at 10:36 pm

O Quan Chuong gate, located in the northeast of Hanoi Old Quarter, is the only surviving gate of the old Thang Long Citadel to the present.

It was built in 1749 and was renovated in 1817. The other 20 gates have disappeared and are now only a part of history.

According to historical records, there was a wall with gates surrounding the Thang Long citadel. The gates were square and were under strict surveillance. They were open during the day and closed at night. In King Le Hien Tong’s reign in the 18th century, there were 16 square gates, but by the early 20th century, there were only 5 gates: Cau Giay, Cau Den, Cho Dua, Dong Mac and Quan Chuong. Some gates were pulled down because of war damage, but their names lived on as the names of districts or streets: Cau Giay district, O Dong Mac ward, O Cau Den ward and O Cho Dua ward. Today, only the Quan Chuong gate survives as a proper “square gate”.

The gate has a dome with a clock tower on top. The gate used to have double thick wooden doors that were opened in the morning and closed at night, but they had long since disappeared.

But the gate still stands, is a symbol of Hanoi. Not only bring beauty architectural but also bearing the historical significance of the capital thousand years of civilization.
For Hanoians, Quan Chuong gate is not just a relic of the ancient Thang Long capital but a proud symbol of the modern capital city.