Ly dynasty founded in Vietnam

1010

Ly Cong Uan, a Buddhist palace commander raised in a monastery, usurped the throne at Hoa Lu, moved his capital to Thang Long (modern Hanoi), and inaugurated a dynasty that would rule an increasingly independent Vietnam for two centuries. The site of his palace remains Hanoi's historic core. His choice of Thang Long, meaning ascending dragon, reflected both geomantic reasoning and an ambition to establish Vietnamese sovereignty.