The Ho Dynasty Citadel (Source: VNA)

(VOVworld) - The Ho Dynasty Citadel in Thanh Hoa Province has received more than 22,000 visitors since the beginning of this year. Do Quang Trong, Director of the Ho Dynasty Citadel Preservation Center, says that the number of visitors to the relic complex has tripled since it was recognized as a World Cultural Heritage site in June.  Before that the province spent millions of USD upgrading the relic’s infrastructure, and promoting it to the outside world. Trong said ‘In the long term, we will combine cultural heritage and tourism and make it an integral part of the community. Tourism will be a useful channel of communications to everyone at home and abroad. The provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has been implementing plans in line with this year’s National Tourism Year. It will take us a long time to unearth all the remains of the Ho Dynasty Citadel as many of them remain buried. We’re focusing on preservation right now. We’ll restore the Citadel’s trench system and plant more trees.’

Ho Dynasty Citadel was Vietnam’s capital under the Ho Dynasty from 1400 to 1407. The stone citadel was an outstanding example of a new style of Southeast Asian imperial city.