In 1149, King Ly Anh Tong established Van Don Port for foreign trade. That was the Van Don commercial port system, the first international commercial port of Dai Viet.
Van Don Commercial Port Relic – Vietnam's Oldest Commercial Port
Van Don commercial port in those days served to conduct trade with countries in East Asia as well as Japan, China, India, Thailand, Indonesia… The commercial port prospered throughout three dynasties—Ly, Tran, and Later Le—before falling into oblivion during the Mac Dynasty. The Van Don commercial port relic bears the imprints of both the struggle against foreign invaders and the trading and exchange of goods.
Van Don commercial port. Photo: Redsvn.
On the basis of the artifacts and documents found, Van Don commercial port was classified as a National Historical Relic in 2003, comprising numerous ancient wharf relics. By 2021, the People's Committee of Quang Ninh Province had prepared a dossier requesting the Government to designate this relic complex as a Special National Relic.
Cong Dong – Cong Tay wharf in Thang Loi Commune is one of the ancient wharves of the Van Don commercial port classified as a National Relic in 2003.
Today, the traces of the ancient commercial port consist only of millions of ceramic and porcelain shards, building foundations, structures, ancient coins… Although its exact location cannot be determined, Van Don commercial port was a system of dozens of boat wharves distributed across the islands and along the shores of Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, stretching from Mong Cai to Van Don, Ha Long, and Quang Yen.
Photo: Redsvn.
Throughout its more than 700-year history of existence, Van Don commercial port was not merely an isolated harbor, but an interconnected system of wharves and boat anchorages.
The bustling ancient commercial port. Photo: Binh Duong Newspaper.
Arranging ports across multiple locations in this manner served to reduce the heavy concentration of boats at a single wharf, while also specifically regulating where boats—especially foreign vessels—could dock, avoiding mixed docking to facilitate management and supervision.
Many artifacts have been found in the island communes of Van Don District, including the main center at Cai Lang in Quan Lan Commune. Ancient wharves transshipping goods such as spices and aromatics, ceramics, and forest and local produce were located along the Bach Dang River and Cua Luc to Cong Dong and Quan Lan islands.
The vast commercial port area of the past. Photo: VOV.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the goods traded and exchanged at the ancient Van Don commercial port included natural products such as aromatics, rhinoceros horns, ivory, gold, pearls, silver, copper, and saltpeter. These were commodities that accounted for a large proportion of Dai Viet's total exports.
The second common type of commodity was ceramics. During the Ly Dynasty, the crafting technique of celadon porcelain was by no means inferior, and even somewhat superior, to China's Longquan celadon. Our country's ceramics were elegant, featuring very attractive embossed decorative patterns. According to a Japanese historian, Ly Dynasty ceramics were greatly favored and were found being sold as far away as the East Indies.
Illustrative photo: Thanh Nien Newspaper.
By the Tran Dynasty, ceramics took another step forward with robust forms and graceful brown glaze that were not only favored by foreign merchants, but even preferred by Chinese emperors, who consistently demanded ceramic bowls as tribute.
Illustrative photo: Thanh Nien Newspaper.
The third common commodity was silks and brocades. Although the export proportion of silk was not very large, the textile products made by Dai Viet artisans were diverse, exquisite, and vibrantly colored, making them highly sought-after imports for merchants from far and wide.
Photo: Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper.
With its exceptional commercial, cultural, and historical significance, the Van Don commercial port relic has enriched our vast cultural treasure and created the long-standing depth of Vietnamese trade history. Don't forget to contact iVIVU to book a Ha Long tour with numerous deals and dedicated, professional service to ensure you have a perfect vacation!
