In 1010 Lý Thái Tổ moved the royal capital from Hoa Lư to Thăng Long (which is Hà Nội

nowadays). Although Hoa Lư was a strategic citadel surrounded by mountains and marshland
that was difficult for invading armies to attack or conquer, Hoa Lư was geographically too small
and difficult for commerce and urban development to flourish. Lý Thái Tổ, who had wished to
implement civic development and economic growth within the realm, soon realized that Hoa Lư
was not a suitable place for such aspirations. This prompted Lý Thái Tổ to move the capital to a
more spacious landscaped settlement called Đại La, now Hà Nội. Đại La was an ideal location
for the new capital since it was on flatland and surrounded by rivers and lakes, which was
advantageous for transportation, commerce, and military mobilization. In 1010, he issued a royal
decree called Edict on the Transfer of the Capital for moving the imperial capital from Hoa Lư to
Đại La. While travelling from Hoa Lư to the imperial settlement, he was claimed to have had a
vision of "a yellow dragon ascending" which inspired him to change the new settlement's name
from Đại La to Thăng Long which means "Ascending Dragon". Lý Công Uẩn also built Trường
An Citadel in the former capital Hoa Lư to further fortify the garrison for military defense and
Thiên Đức Citadel in Cổ Pháp village as a tributary honor to his childhood home town.