Hoa Lư, situated 90 km south of Hanoi in Northern Vietnam, was the second capital city in Vietnam’s history, established in the 10th century CE. Previous research on Hoa Lư has primarily focused on the central area – the Hoa Lư Citadel - within the karst valleys, which is protected by surrounding embankments. The other major part of the settlement outside the central area, which was protected by a large, enclosed boundary on the east, has not been investigated as yet. In November 2018, after several years of field survey, we opened two excavation trenches. One looks at the northern edge of the outer large boundary around Hoa Lư. The trench is opened at the northern wall (Den Wall). The other is the diplomatic site located on a major route junction within the outer eastern enclosed area, the Da Gia Ha Shrine. The project has provided new and helpful insights into the patterning of the urban settlement of Hoa Lư. The two excavations were preliminary assessments of the large outer boundary area around the citadel. The enclosed outer area was bounded by the mountain range on the west, the big river on the north-east and east and a canal and the sea to the south-east. Within this area there are shrines, occupation sites, and key socio-political locations.