Vạn Kiếp

Vạn Kiếp occupies a strategic position near Lục Đầu, where several rivers meet before flowing towards the sea. The waterways and surrounding hills guard the eastern approaches to Thăng Long. Trần Hưng Đạo made the area a headquarters, with stores and facilities to support his forces during the wars against the Mongol-Yuan invasions of Đại Việt.

In 1285 the Trần armies gathered at Vạn Kiếp to confront the advancing Yuan forces. After fierce fighting they withdrew, preserving their forces for a later counterattack. As the invaders retreated, the river junction again became a scene of battle. The memory of Trần Hưng Đạo's command remained closely attached to Vạn Kiếp and its river landscape.