Quang Tri Overview

Area: 4,745.7 sq. km.
Population: 616,600 habitants (2004)
Capital: Dong Ha Town.
Administrative divisions:
- Town: Quang Tri
- Districts: Vinh Linh, Gio Linh, Cam Lo, Trieu Phong, Hai Lang, Huong Hoa, Da Krong, Con Co.
Ethnic groups: Viet (Kinh), Bru – Van Kieu, Ta Oi, Hoa.

Quang Tri Geography

Quang Tri located on North – Central Vietnam. On the North of Quang Tri is Quang Binh province, on the South is Thua Thien Hue province and on the West is Savankhet ( Laos ), on the east is 75km seaside East Sea.  .

The weather condition mainly is hot and dry due to dry south- west winds. Annual average temperature is 24ºC.

Quang Tri citadel

Location: Quang Tri Citadel is located in the central of Quang Tri Town.
Characteristics: Quang Tri Citadel was a military bastion and it was also an administrative head office of Nguyen Dynasty in Quang Tri Province (1809 -1945).

In 1824 Ming Mang built Quang tri citadel. It is nearly 60 km north of Hue and is based on style of Vauban architecture with its circuit of 2,160 m . There used to be four fortresses that protruded from each of the four corners to command the four citadel gates. Inside was the town palace surrounded by a system of thick wall s with a perimeter of 400m.

Three – roomed house was a place for the King to worship, and it is also place which his inferiors is given promotions or is used to celebrate festivals. Outside the town palace, tourists can visit flagpole and castles such as Tuan Vu, An Sat and Lanh Binh and a rice store, etc. Tourists can also visit camp and tax agency built by French solider. Sadly today there are no remains of its past glory due to the destruction of the US bombs in summer of 1972. This citadel has been become well- known all over the world as the incident which lasted 81 days and nights (from 28 June to 16 September 1972).

South Vietnam troop used fire – power and determined to re-occupy Quang Tri Citadel within a couple of days.The US bombardment and shelling of 140 B52 aircraft, over  200 tactical planes, 12 – 16 fighter planes and cruisers affected Quang Tri Town. During 40 days and nights 80,000 tons of bombs had been dropped there – as many as that in the World War II in African battlefield within a month. And do note that the amount of bombs dropped in the whole South battlefield in the years of 1968-1969 was lower than that Quang Tri a day. Especially, on July 25 only an area of 3km2 of Quang Tri there were 5,000 shells fired and its locality was suffered 20,000 shells in a day. Bombs and shells with US aggressors’  destructive capacity used to destroy Quang Tri, equal to 7 atomic bombs which were  dropped onto Hiroshima and Nagasaki – Japan in 1945. It is, unbelievable that averagely 7 tons of bombs were dropped in each inhabitant in this land. Vietnamese people were decided together with Quang Tri to fight to their last breath. The Northern people had saved everything such as: ammunition, food and etc. to send to Quang Tri. All Vietnamese people were united family. And Quang Tri citizens are extremely courageous.
In Vietnam history, the citadel has known as a glorious period of the nation’s war against foreign invasion.  Quang Tri citadel is one of The Vietnamese people’s pride, and foreigners admire it.
When visitors came here and look by their eyes bullet holes in its walls, they will feel how devastating the war was. In order to remark the soldiers’ meritorious service, a monument was built in the centre of the citadel as a symbol of the indomitable spirit of the Quang Tri people and army and as a token of gratitude to the sacrifices of the fallen soldiers for the independence and freedom of the nation.