A New Perspective on the Spatial Layout of Hoa Lu Citadel

Abstract

This article provides an overview of Hoa Lu’s urban landscape, including the structure of its inner and outer enclosures and the integration of natural elements into its urban form in the tenth century CE. The study argues that Hoa Lu’s pattern of occupation aligned with the general form of Vietnam’s largest historical settlements. Its urban complex can be understood as a vast zone with multiple layers: extensive, bounded, sparsely populated outer areas combined with central enclosed sectors, some of which may have been more densely inhabited. Tenth-century Hoa Lu should thus be viewed as a patchy, low-density settlement, situated within a broader pattern of Vietnamese urbanism. This interpretation offers a new perspective on the spatial configuration of Hoa Lu Citadel and contributes to the study of early Vietnamese urban development.