Vietnam: Boat, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh Province

In 968 an outstanding military commander, Dinh Bo Linh (924-979), reunified the country after the collapse of the short-lived Ngo Dynasty ( 939-67). He renamed the country Dai Co Viet, and moved the capital from Co Loa near Hanoi south to Hoa Lu to be farther from the Chinese threat. Emperor Tien Hoang De (r. 968-979), married five empresses simultaneously - the only Vietnamese king ever to do so - <br/><br/>He also took the title Emperor Tien Hoang De (r. 968-979), married five empresses simultaneously - the only Vietnamese king ever to do so. Like his more famous Chinese namesake, the 'Yellow Emperor' Qin Shi Huang, he not only unified the country, but employed In front of the citadel at Hoa Lu he is said to have kept a vat of boiling oil in which to immerse lesser In front of the citadel at Hoa Lu he is said to have kept a vat of boiling oil in which to immerse lesser offenders, while more serious criminals were fed to the palace tigers.