An age-old well was discovered in Xuan Giai village, Vinh Tien commune, Vinh Loc district of central Thanh Hoa province, about 300m away from the inner part of the world's cultural heritage, Ho Dynasty Citadel.
The information was released on January 5 by the Centre for Ho Dynasty Citadel Heritage Conservation, which, however, said it needs to conduct more research to figure out the exact age of the well.
The round-shaped well is 2m in diameter and 6m in depth. It was paved by a type of brick that is similar to the one used at the Ho Dynasty Citadel. Most of the bricks, which have their surface engraved with Sino-Vietnamese scripts to name the manufacturing places, still keep the fresh pink color.
Nguyen Xuan Toan, Deputy Director of the centre, said the centre will work with the local authorities to compile a dossier to ask for the recognition of a complex, which consists of this well and a communal house in Xuan Giai village as a special heritage.
The Ho Dynasty Citadel, located on the two communes of Vinh Tien and Vinh Long, Vinh Loc district, Thanh Hoa province, is a unique stone-made architectural work in Vietnam.
Built by Ho Quy Ly in 1397, this citadel was also known as Tay Do to distinguish it from Dong Do (Thang Long - Ha Noi). After the citadel was completed, Ho Quy Ly moved the capital from Thang Long to Tay Do.
For more than 600 years of existence, most of the buildings inside the Citadel were destroyed. The traces of the foundations of the old palaces still lie hidden under the rice fields.
On June 27, 2011, at the 35th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris (France), the citadel was recognised as the world's cultural heritage.