Bac Ninh marks 940 years of victory against foreign invaders
The northern province of Bac Ninh celebrated 940 years of the Nhu Nguyet Victory against the Song invaders from the north with a ceremony in Yen Phong district on February 7.
The defence line, over 10km long, traversed the areas which are now Tam Giang and Tam Da communes of Yen Phong district and Thi Cau ward of Bac Ninh city. Established basing on the local topography, the line was aimed to prevent 300,000 Song troops.
The fight on the Nhu Nguyet River was part of Ly Thuong Kiet’s combat strategy, which defeated the Song troops.
The Nhu Nguyet defence line is also believed to be the birthplace of the poem “Nam quoc son ha” (Mountains and Rivers of the Southern Country), which was considered the first declaration of independence of Vietnam.
Following the celebration, central and provincial officials and local residents attended a ceremony starting the construction of a temple dedicated to Ly Thuong Kiet.
The project is set to cover more than 253ha of land with the temple stretching 8.7ha. The construction is scheduled to basically finish in 2017.