The excavation work will be carried out by the Hanoi Museum and the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology from September 15 to October 30 on a total area of 120 square metres.

All the items collected during the excavation will be kept by the Duong Lam Village Management Board who will also propose to the culture ministry measures to protect them and utilise their best values.

The Hanoi Museum and the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology will announce the results of their excavation after discussing with the Department of Cultural Heritage.

Built in 1822 across 16 hectares under the reign of the Nguyen Dynasty's King Minh Mang, the Son Tay Citadel is an old military construction built from laterite, making it one of the most unique citadels in Vietnam.

It used to be one of the four protectors of Thang Long City, the western gate of the capital. It boasts a long history of protecting the city’s perimeter and of a culture imbued with a tradition of patriotism and revolution.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 1994 listed it as a historic relic on a national level.