In the old days, there was a 16-m2 brick lookout with a flat roof at every gate of Hai Duong city. All of the lookouts now have disappeared without any trace.
An old Hai Duong street in the early 19th century
However, in the photo of Bao Dai flower garden, the image of an old lookout can be seen at the same position of the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade, Hai Duong branch, nowadays.
There was a triangular flower garden in front of the Primary School for Boys (now To Hieu Primary School) at the northern gate. The lookout was located right on the top of the garden (now the headquarters of Quang Trung ward Public Security).
When upheavals broke out, the lookout was the place for examination of papers of the people entering the city from Han ferry.
Walking past the Primary School for Boys from the gate, we would see an earthen dyke about 2 m wide, enough for a wagon to come and go (now Nguyen Cong Hoan street).
To the north of the dyke was a road to the hospital. There were not any private houses but field plots along the road to the station cut across by Ba Cua drain with azure water.
Passing the side of the triangular flower garden, you would see on the right several ancient gao trees (Bombax Ceiba) whose flowers colored the sky blazing red every summer.
On a large area of the dyke to the left of the road to the station was a van chi (place of worship) where scouts often came for entertainment and singing activities.
At the eastern gate, there was also a similar lookout in front of the barracks of guardsmen (now the provincial Military Command) by the road 5.
The lookout lay alongside an earthen dyke, now Thanh Nien road. Hai Duong youth in the past often passed the gate to head towards Du Du flower garden to the left of the road 5 or Ben Be flower garden (also known as Tholance flower garden) beside the road 5.
The southwestern gate was located at the position of the Bottle Factory along Ke Sat river on the way to Ninh Giang through Cat bridge.
During the temporary occupation period, there were so many military posts along the road that people hesitated to go through. Farmers from Tu Ky and Gia Loc bringing products to the city for sale often chose Goc Mit ferry, a shortcut nearer and safer. The Goc Mit ferry was close to the edge of the current Hong Quang bridge. After getting off the ferry, you arrived at Kho Bac street, which led straight to the market, very convenient.
The western gate lay on the road 5 towards Ha Noi. The Porcelain Factory was not yet built back then. Formerly located at the position was Dong Hoa street (also known as De Cau hamlet or Duc Dong hamlet).
After the national resistance, the street with nothing but thatched houses was burnt and destroyed, leaving only a temple where the enemy was stationed.
The fifth gate was the very location with the lookout opposite Bao Dai flower garden – there was no Hong Quang street at that time.
The lookout was used for checking of only the people carrying vegetables from Phuong Cao, Co Dong, and Co Doai to the city through the current Hoang Hoa Tham street. On one side of the street was the surrounding wall of the Wine Factory; on the other side were vegetable fields. In the photo, the water tower can be seen from Bao Dai flower garden without being obscured by any building.
Standing within 1 km apart, the five gates were very close to each other. Particularly, there were up to three lookouts and three gates along the highway 5 passing through the city.
This proves the very slow development of Hai Duong town with the area increasing from 3 km2 to 9 km2, population from 10,000 to 30,000, during 62 years of the French colonial domination (1883 – 1945) and eight years of the temporary occupation.
Meanwhile, for a shorter period of time (59 years) since the liberation, the area has surged from 9 km2 to 71 km2, population from 30,000 to 279,000.
| The chief town of Hai Duong province before 1804 was Lac Thien (Chi Linh), called Van town or Van quarter then, and later Mao Dien (Cam Giang). In 1804 (the 3rd year of King Gia Long’s reign), the Nguyen dynasty re-divided administrative boundaries throughout the country to consolidate the ruling apparatus; thus, Hai Duong’s chief town was switched from Mao Dien to the confluence of Thai Binh and Sat rivers in the communes of Han Giang, Han Thuong, and Binh Lao. Province chief Tran Cong Hien ordered the construction of a citadel, named Thanh Dong, serving as the headquarters of the apparatus and military garrison with the aim of defending the city and blocking the entrance into Thang Long imperial city. Thanh Dong was then one of the four citadels guarding Thang Long. This is considered as the foundation date of Hai Duong city. |
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Đăng ký: VietNam News
