The Giang Vo military school (Giảng Võ Trường) was an important location of the former Thang Long. It was the site of martial arts learning, tactics training and high level military exercises during feudal dynasties. “Dai Viet su ky toan thu” tells us the following events: In 1010, the Ly dynasty established the Giang Vo palace, and in 1070, the Xa Dinh (shooting range) was established. In August 1253, Tran Thai Tong established the Giang Vo school as a place of learning for military leaders. From the early Le dynasty period, the western area of Thang Long (including the Giang Vo, Kim Ma, and Ngoc Khanh areas) became a major center for training, examinations, and military demonstrations. The Giang Vo historical site in the western area of Thang Long is the site of a martial arts school that existed for over three centuries during the Le Dynasty (from the 15th to the 18th century). Many large-scale military training and martial arts demonstrations were organized in this area. In 1481, Emperor Le Thanh Tong erected the Giang Vo hall on this site. In October, the winter of the same year, he dug Hai Tri Lake. This lake’s irregular perimeter measured nearly 100 Vietnamese miles (about 4,5km) in diameter. Situated in the middle of the lake is Thuy Ngoc Palace; on the side of the lake is Giang Vo hall where military drills and parades were performed. The Giang Vo hall archaeological site, Giang Vo hall courtyard, martial arts arenas, and shooting ranges are all located in the area known as Giang Vo Military School.

Since the 1960s, sporadic discoveries of weapon artifacts at Cau Giay Transport Intermediate School (now the University of Transport) and especially archaeological discoveries at Ngoc Khanh Lake (Ba Dinh - Hanoi) in 1983 with a collection of more than 300 artifacts, one of the most abundant metal weapon artifacts of the Middle Ages, allows us to identify this area as the Giang Vo military school of the Le Dynasty.

The exhibition "Giang Vo Military School and Le Dynasty Weapons Collection" consists of two main themes:

Theme 1: Giang Vo Military School: Introducing the history of the formation of the School, which was a training ground for soldiers and officials of the feudal dynasties in Vietnam, along with the remaining artifacts in the collection of the Hanoi Museum. These artifacts are made of various materials such as ceramics, wood, stone, bronze, and iron.

Theme 2: The Le Dynasty Weapons Collection: The highlight is the Ngoc Khanh weapons collection, which includes 111 artifacts that were officially recognized as National Treasures by the Prime Minister's Decision No. 41/QD-TTg (11th batch, 2022). In addition to that, there are other artifacts discovered in the Giang Vo School area as well as the ancient Thang Long Imperial Citadel area. Throughout different feudal periods, alongside the development and innovation of martial arts, our people have accumulated rich experience in crafting weapons. These historical artifacts demonstrate the development of military science in each period, meeting the needs of warfare, tactics, physicality, and the terrain of Vietnam.

With nearly 200 artifacts, images, and documents related to the Giang Vo School in the exhibition, the aim is to educate the younger generation about the love for their country, instill national pride, and showcase the creativity and martial policies of the feudal dynasties. Through this, it highlights the spirit of unity and compassion among our people, which is an impenetrable fortress and the collective strength of the whole nation that has defeated all enemies.

                                                          Department of Display and Education