All major monuments of the Nguyen
dynasty in the former feudal capital city of Hue city and its surrounding areas will
be fully restored by 2020 under a plan announced by the Thua Thien-Hue People’s
Committee.

Relics of Hue’s Forbidden City are set for full restoration to their original architecture by 2020. (Photo: VNS)

All structures of the
Forbidden City, the homes of kings and royal families that were once off-limits
to the common people, will be restored according to their original architecture
and designs.

The restoration of
Thai Hoa Palace, or the Palace of Heavenly Peace, where coronations and the
court’s premier ceremonies took place, hallways in the Forbidden City,
mausoleums dedicated to Kings Thieu Tri and Dong Khanh, among others, will be
completed by the end of next year.

From then until 2017,
work will be carried out on the Can Chanh Palace where kings held court; the
Phung Tien Palace which houses altars worshipping the Nguyen Kings; the left and
right wing pavilions of Thai Hoa Palace; mausoleums of Kings Gia Long and Thieu
Tri; and the Tinh Tam (Peace of Mind) Lake.

The Can Thanh Palace,
where kings had meals and slept, and the Khon Thai Palace, home of queens and
senior concubines, and the ngu tien van phong (King’s office) as well as the
system of walls and gates of the Forbidden City will be restored between 2017
and 2020.

Other structures
outside the Forbidden City, like the Kham Thien Giam (court’s observatory and
meteorological agency), Nam Giao Platform where kings worshipped Heaven,
mausoleums dedicated to King Tu Duc and Nguyen Lords (ancestors of Nguyen
Kings), and waterways in the feudal city will also be restored by 2020.

The plan will also
give a facelift to natural landscapes around the monuments and relocate
residents who have encroached into monument areas. The restoration of intangible
cultural values, preservation of traditional handicrafts and training the next
generation of artisans are also envisaged in the plan.

Total investment for
the restoration and preservation works will exceed VND2.5 trillion (US$120
million), according to Nguyen Minh Bieu, director of the project’s managing
board.

He said the project
is part of a 10-year (2010-20) conservation plan prepared by the central
Government for the former feudal capital of Hue.

Around 20
sub-projects have been approved so far and some of them have already begun
implementation. Another 27 other sub-projects are at the formulation stage.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News