The ancient capital Hoa Lu in Truong Yen Commune, Hoa Lu District, Ninh Binh Province, nearly 100km south of Hanoi, was the first capitalized feudal state of Vietnam, established more than 10 centuries ago. It remained the capital for 41 years (986-1009) from when Dinh Bo Linh became a king in 986, including 12 years under the court of the Dinh dynasty (Dinh Bo Linh came to the crown with the name Dinh Tien Hoang and named the country Dai Co Viet) and 29 years under the Le Dynasty (Le Hoan became the first king with the name Le Dai Hanh). At that time, Hoa Lu was a superb, stunning imperial city with an area of 300ha, which consisted of the outer, inner and southern citadels surrounded by impressive mountains. It had a grandiose landscape with the spaces between the mountains filled with bricks and earth. The base of the citadels was built with bricks to a height of 8-10m. In the eastern area of the capital, there is Cot Co (Flag Pole) Mountain with Dai Co Viet national flag.

In 1010, Ly Thai To moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long (now called Hanoi). Over the 10 subsequent centuries, most historical objects from the old capital have been severely damaged or completely ruined due to Vietnam's climate. 

Now, on the foundation of the old Palace there stand the temples dedicated to King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh, which were built in the 17th century. At this historical site, there are still some beautiful pagodas, such as Ngan Xuyen and Nhat Tru Pagodas which attract a lot of visitors.
The ancient capital Hoa Lu is a destination for visitors to enjoy the architectural works and historical traits of the site, which marks a glorious period of construction, independence and self-control of the country of Dai Co Viet thousands of years ago.