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| Party Central Committee member, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long, along with other officials, visiting Thai Hoa Palace |
The ceremony started with the staging of the “Audience Ceremony” in celebration of the successful restoration of Thai Hoa Palace and the rewards granted by the Imperial Court.
At the ceremony, Mr. Hoang Viet Trung, director of Hue Monuments Conservation Center (HMCC), announced that after three years of construction, the restoration and conservation project of Thai Hoa Palace had been completed according to the requirements, thereby being open to the public now.
Thai Hoa Palace is one of the most important architectural landmarks in Hue Imperial Citadel. It was the venue for the coronation ceremonies of 13 Emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty, and the site for the most important royal rituals. The palace was initially built in the spring of 1805 under the reign of Emperor Gia Long. During Emperor Minh Mang’s reign, the palace was relocated and renovated, starting in 1832 and completing in 1833.
The restoration project, which began on November 23rd, 2021, with a total investment of nearly 129 billion VND, was completed 9 months ahead of schedule. The project focused on the preservation, restoration, and reconstruction of key components, including the wooden structural framework, roof system, walls, and foundation; as well as the conservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of the exterior and interior decorative details of the work.
“Over the past three years of implementing the project, HMCC has fully adhered to scientific processes, from surveying and researching to implementing measures, aiming at preserving the core elements of the monument. The goal was to preserve the essence of the structure after restoration and ensure technical durability while honoring traditional artistic values,” said Mr. Trung.
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| Mr. Wallace Baker, Head of UNESCO’s Office in Vietnam (the third one from the left), presenting the UNESCO Documentary Heritage Recognition Certificate for “The Bas-reliefs on the Nine Dynastic Urns at Hue Imperial Palace” |
Addressing at the ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong, Chairman of Thua Thien Hue Provincial People’s Committee, affirmed that Thua Thien Hue was now the province with the largest number of UNESCO-recognized world heritage sites in Vietnam. This serves as obvious proof of the richness and diversity of global cultural heritage in the territory of Hue ancient capital.
Hue is proud to be the first place in Vietnam to have a site recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage (the Complex of Hue Monuments in 1993) and also the first locality to have an intangible cultural heritage included in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (Hue Court Music in 2003). To date, Thua Thien Hue is the province with the most world heritage sites in Vietnam, further demonstrating the wealth and variety of global cultural heritage in the ancient capital.
On May 8th, 2024, “The Bas-reliefs on the Nine Dynastic Urns at the Hue Imperial Palace” was officially be inscribed on UNESCO’s Asia-Pacific Documentary Heritage list at the 10th session of the program themed “Memory of the World for the Asia-Pacific Region” in Mongolia.
UNESCO’s recognition of “The Bas-reliefs on the Nine Dynastic Urns at Hue Imperial Palace” as a World Documentary Heritage once again affirms the significance and historical value of the Nine Dynastic Urns in the world’s cultural heritage. It also elevates Thua Thien Hue’s position as the only locality in Vietnam to have eight UNESCO-recognized heritage sites.
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| The staging of the “Audience Ceremony” to celebrate the completion of Thai Hoa Palace and the rewards granted by the court |
At today’s event, Thua Thien Hue also officially announced the completion of the "Conservation and Restoration of Thai Hoa Palace" project, which is now open to the public, and launched the project for the restoration and rehabilitation of Can Chanh Palace. These are two large-scale and significant structures within Hue Imperial Citadel and Forbidden Purple City. To proceed with the restoration and rehabilitation projects for Thai Hoa and Can Chanh Palaces, Thua Thien Hue province carried out an extensive and systematic research process, receiving invaluable assistance from international organizations, central government departments, and researchers in collecting documents, images, and legal foundations for implementation.
This demonstrates that the efforts to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of Hue have entered a phase of stability and sustainable development. Hue is gradually being recognized by both domestic and international individuals and organizations, especially UNESCO, as a leader in heritage preservation and as a potential hub for heritage conservation technology transfer in the Asia-Pacific region.
“Thua Thien Hue is committed to continuing to effectively implement the international and Vietnamese government action programs and plans for the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage, with specific solutions both in the short and long term, to breathe new life into these heritage sites, ensuring they remain preserved and continue to serve the economic and social development of the region,” stated Chairman Nguyen Van Phuong.
At the UNESCO Documentary Heritage Recognition Ceremony for “The Bas-reliefs on the Nine Dynastic Urns at Hue Imperial Palace,” Mr. Wallace Baker, Head of UNESCO’s Vietnam Office, emphasized that the bronze reliefs on the Nine Dynastic Urns preserved values that reflect the interactions and exchanges between Vietnamese culture and other East Asian cultures.
He also reaffirmed UNESCO’s deep appreciation for its long-standing partnership with Thua Thien Hue, a locality where heritage preservation work has been carried out with great dedication, bringing about remarkable results. Thirty years ago, UNESCO and the global community recognized the urgency of cooperating with Vietnam to safeguard and protect these priceless heritages.
During this important ceremony, several individuals presented three artifacts to HMCC, incldung a set of Bien Khanh musical instruments, a Long Ma sculpture, and a Nhat Binh robe.
Later, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long and Party Secretary of Thua Thien Hue Province, Le Truong Luu, officiated the grand opening of the restored Thai Hoa Palace in front of a large audience of delegates, dignitaries, and visitors.
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Groundbreaking for the Restoration and Rehabilitation of Can Chanh Palace
In that afternoon, the delegates participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the restoration, rehabilitation, and enhancement of Can Chanh Palace - an exemplary monument in terms of both historical and architectural value within the Complex of Hue Monuments.
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| The delegates performing the groundbreaking ceremony for the restoration, rehabilitation, and enhancement of Can Chanh Palace heritage site |
Can Chanh Palace was built in 1804 as the daily working space for the Emperor and the site for the regular court meetings on the 5th, 10th, 20th, and 25th days of the lunar calendar. It also hosted important ceremonies like the Lunar New Year, Grand Celebration of Longevity and significant royal banquets on joyous occasions.
In February 1947, the palace was completely destroyed, with only its foundation remaining. Over the past 60 years, especially from 2000 to 2024, valuable input for the restoration research process for Can Chanh Palace has been collected from the National Heritage Council, UNESCO experts, as well as local and international scholars. This research has provided the scientific basis and legal foundation to launch the restoration project.
The project aims to restore the palace’s interior and exterior architecture, as well as its landscape, to closely resemble the original design. With an investment of nearly 200 billion VND, the project is expected to be completed within four years. Following the restoration of Kien Trung Palace, this will be the second palace in the Forbidden Purple City to be restored and is expected to achieve positive results.
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