Nghệ An

Nghệ An lies on the lower Lam River, where the mountains of the interior give way to a coastal plain. For centuries this region stood on the southern approaches to the heartland of Đại Việt. Its rivers linked the coast with inland valleys, and the lands around Vinh became an important centre of government in the lower basin.

In 1424 Lê Lợi brought the Lam Sơn uprising into Nghệ An, using victories in the region to build a base against Ming rule. Much later, in 1788, the Tây Sơn ruler Quang Trung chose the Vinh area for a projected central capital, Phượng Hoàng Trung Đô. After the Nguyễn dynasty came to power, Gia Long ordered an earthen citadel built at Vĩnh Yên in 1804 and moved the seat of Nghệ An there. Under Minh Mạng the fortifications were rebuilt in stone in 1831.