In front of you is Chính Bắc Môn, the North Gate. It is the only gate of the 1805 citadel still standing, and the only one that keeps in its stone the day Hanoi fell.
125 April 1882
That morning the French commander Henri Rivière sent an ultimatum to the governor of Hanoi, Hoàng Diệu, demanding the surrender of the citadel. When no answer came, French gunboats anchored on the Red River opened fire. Two shells struck this gate. The holes they left are still there, a few metres above the arch.
The citadel fell that same day. Hoàng Diệu took his own life rather than surrender and became a symbol of loyalty. Nine years earlier, in 1873, another governor, Nguyễn Tri Phương, had been wounded and captured in the first French attack, led by Francis Garnier; he died soon afterwards, having refused treatment.
The French pulled down the citadel, but they left standing the gate that bore the mark of their victory.
Every year, at the end of April, incense is burned here in memory of the two governors. Next door, the Cửa Bắc church, from the 1930s, completes a curious snapshot of the colonial city.
2What to look for
- The two shell marks, to the left of and above the arch.
- The stone plaque in French beside them, dated 25 April 1882.
- The pale stone arch, contrasting with the dark brick of the wall.
Documented
On 25 April 1882 French gunboats bombarded the citadel; two impacts are still visible on the North Gate, and Governor Hoàng Diệu killed himself after its fall.
Sources and credits
Thăng Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre, «Governor Hoàng Diệu, a bright example for posterity to follow»; Nhân Dân, special feature «Di tích Chính Bắc Môn»; Philippe Papin, «Histoire de Hanoi» (Fayard, 2001).
Photos:
- The North Gate of Hanoi's old citadel, brick with a stone arch: Nguyễn Thanh Quang, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Wall of the North Gate showing the marks of French shells: Nguyễn Thanh Quang, CC BY-SA 3.0.
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