Ly Thai To

As Sally and I were walking around Hoan Kiem Lake, I saw a giant statue with lots of landscaping across the street and we had to check it out. Enormous bronze of Ly Thai To, the founder and first emperor of the Ly Dynasty in Vietnam. He ruled from 1009 to 1028. He successfully ended over a millennium of Chinese dominance and established an independent Vietnamese kingdom. He moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long (present-day Hanoi), which became a significant political and cultural center. Ly Thai To is remembered for his contributions to Vietnamese statehood, his administrative reforms, and the promotion of Confucian principles. His reign marked a significant era in Vietnam's history, and he is celebrated as a national hero. The statue was in a beautiful park with the biggest bonsai I've ever seen, probably 2x bigger than the bonsai in Pacific Bonsai Museum in Federal Way. Also, including an example of the French influence on the architecture around the park area.Read more