Ly Thai To - Hanoi, Vietnam - Statues of Historic Figures on Waymarking.com

Ly Thai To (974-1028) is best known in Vietnam as the founder of the city of Hanoi, which, for most of the first thousand years of its existence, has been the capital of Vietnam. He is also known for founding a new regal dynasty to rule the Kingdom, the dynasty of Lý.

I gather, from a perusal of sources, that not a great deal of hard evidence is extant about this individual, however, his historicity is beyond doubt. He came to power at a difficult time in Vietnam, civil unrest, economic problems, and so forth. Moving the capital to Hanoi shifted somewhat the economy of the Kingdom to a more commercial basis, and open up trade routes to China. He also supported Buddhism and established many monasteries in the country. Ly Thai is generally regarded as having stabilised and restored the Kingdom.


This statue of the King is an impressive sight. It is three times life-sized. It looks to made of bronze. The King is depicted wearing regal robes, in something of a Chinese style. He holds a scroll in his right hand and he gazes outwards towards the Turtle Tower Lake. The statue stands on a plinth, which has a brief inscription with the King's name and dates. Before the statue are a set of what could be described as a Buddhist styled prayer area. I am unsure of the official position of Buddhism in this officially communist country, however, Buddhism is enjoying a period of great interest and rebirth amongst the population. There is a large, paved approach to the statue, where local youth ride around in skate boards and break dance! (young people!).

This statue is near the city centre and is surrounded by many other cultural and historical sites. Information from wikipedia and tourist pamphlets.

URL of the statue: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
You must have visited the site in person, not online.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/07/2020 MTBpointer visited it