LY THAI TO STATUE

The statue of Ly Thai To is situated beside the Hoan Kiem Lake. He was the founder of the Ly Dynasty and reigned from 1009 to
1028. He is recognised as being the founder of the city of Hanoi, which celebrated its 1000th anniversary in 2010. He relocated the then capital Hoa Lu to Dai La (Hanoi) because of its location and the advantages it gave for transport, commerce and military
mobilisation.
He was a Buddhist monk as a child and went on to declare Buddism as the national religion. He donated towards building pagodas throughout Vietnam. During his reign, he was mainly at peace with the neighbouring kingdoms, allowing him to concentrate on economic and civic development. He reformed the administration and tax systems, established the national university and strengthened strategic military defences. He died in 1028 at the age of 55.