Hoa Lu Ancient Capital was the capital of Vietnam's first independent dynasty and the first capital city in ancient Vietnam. Before the late Tang Dynasty, Vietnam was a prefecture-level city in China, formerly known as Jiaozhi. It wasn't until the establishment of the Dinh Dynasty during the Northern Song Dynasty that Vietnam gained its own independent regime. Hoa Lu was the capital of both the Dinh and Early Le Dynasties until Ly Thai To moved the capital to Thang Long (present-day Hanoi) in 1010.

The historical background of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is extremely important; however, not many historical buildings from these two dynasties have been preserved. What we see today of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital mainly consists of temples built in the 17th century on the site of the original palace, dedicated to the emperors of the Dinh and Le Dynasties.

Besides the historical buildings, the surrounding natural scenery is also a major attraction of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital