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| On-site inspection |
Principal ceremonial hall of Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Purple City)
The “Conservation, Restoration and Enhancement of Dien Can Chanh” project is being implemented in the area of Tu Cam Thanh (the Forbidden Purple City) within the Dai Noi (Hue Imperial Citadel Complex), part of the Complex of Hue Monuments. The project’s investment policy was approved by the People’s Council of the former Thua Thien Hue Province under Resolution No. 102/NQ-HĐND dated October 14, 2021. Subsequently, the Provincial People’s Committee (now the Hue City People’s Committee) approved the project under Decision No. 2301/QĐ-UBND dated August 28, 2024.
The project is undertaken by the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre as investor and directly managed by the Hue Monuments Conservation Project Management Board, with a total investment of nearly VND 200 billion sourced from the city budget. It will be carried out over a four-year period, from April 2025 to March 2029.
Mr. Hoang Viet Trung, Director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre, said that the project seeks to preserve and restore a special national monument, while also contributing to the completion of the central space of the Hue Imperial City, once the heart of the Nguyen Dynasty’s court affairs.
According to the project dossier, Dien Can Chanh will undergo comprehensive conservation and restoration: reinforcing the foundation, curbs and steps in their original condition; reinstating the stone pedestal bases; relaying decorative brick flooring; carrying out damp-proofing and termite control; restoring the timber frame, roof, wooden panel walls, doors and lien ba (ornamental wooden screen panel); applying red lacquer and gilding to the entire wooden structure; retiling the roof with royal yellow glazed tube tiles; executing ceramic and porcelain inlays on the ridge, roof edges and panels; and reinstating phap lam decoration on the façade.
Started in April 1804 and finished in March 1805 under Emperor Gia Long, Dien Can Chanh was one of the earliest and most important edifices of the Tu Cam Thanh. Across the reigns of Gia Long, Minh Mang, Thieu Tri and Tu Duc, and up to Emperor Bao Dai, the palace underwent multiple repairs and restorations, yet continued to serve as the venue for regular court sessions, the emperor’s daily work, receptions of envoys, banquets and other major ceremonial activities.
Under the current project, the selected restoration period ranges from its construction under Emperor Gia Long to the reign of Emperor Bao Dai, with special emphasis on 1923-1945, a period for which relatively comprehensive photographic records, architectural plans, and historical documentation are preserved.
The restoration of Dien Can Chanh is grounded in three core criteria of monument conservation: conserving the historical value and significance of the monument; preserving to the fullest extent the surviving original elements; and restoring on the basis of documentary evidence, historical records and archaeological findings on sound scientific foundations.
Today, only the foundation of Dien Can Chanh remains, following its destruction in February 1947 at the beginning of the resistance war against the French. The foundation was preliminarily restored in 1991; in 1994, immediately after the Complex of Hue Monuments received UNESCO recognition, the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre, in collaboration with the Institute for World Heritage Studies – Waseda University (Japan), initiated a research program on the reconstruction of Dien Can Chanh, thereby laying the scientific foundation for today’s project.
Traces of the foundation and the journey of restoration
Among the major challenges confronting the restoration of Dien Can Chanh is its unstable geological base — the cause of repeated subsidence of the building throughout its history.
According to Ms. Phung Phuong Thao, head of the Dien Can Chanh project (Hue Monuments Conservation Project Management Board), after the completion of archaeological work, geological survey drilling was carried out at three locations to a depth of up to 20 meters to assess the extent of subsidence and the characteristics of the subsoil.
“The survey results reveal that the geological foundation in this area is unstable, linked to the river and former canal system that was modified during the construction of the Hue Citadel. Historically, the Nguyen Dynasty employed a number of localized interventions, such as compacted clay layers and sand pits for moisture drainage, but no comprehensive solution was achieved,” Ms. Thao said.
In light of this situation, the project has opted for a foundation reinforcement solution employing a reinforced concrete footing system installed below the structure, having sought opinions from relevant professional bodies and the Department of Cultural Heritage and received appraisal and approval in compliance with established procedures. This solution aims to ensure the long-term safety of the structure.
At present, the contractor is fabricating wooden components at the workshop, while dismantling portions of the foundation curbs and marking the stone pedestal bases in preparation for concrete foundation casting, erection and alignment in accordance with the designed elevation.
According to the National Museum of History, Dien Can Chanh occupies a distinctive position and bears particular historical significance within the Nguyen Dynasty. As the “central hall” of the Tu Cam Thanh, it clearly embodied the political institution, monarchical power and ceremonial court life of Vietnam for more than 140 years.
The National Museum of History has suggested that restoration efforts be accompanied by the preservation and scientific documentation of archaeological artifacts for display at Dien Can Chanh, while gradually re-creating the courtly setting, including scenes of the emperor holding court, mandarins in attendance and the Cam Y Ve (Imperial Bodyguards) on guard duty, thereby enhancing the monument’s appeal and the visitor experience.
Regarding the project timeline, completion is scheduled for March 2029; however, relevant units are making efforts to expedite progress in order to complete the project by November 2028, in tandem with the restoration of Dai Cung Mon (Great Palace Gate).
Once Dien Can Chanh is brought back to life, the central space of the Hue Imperial City will gradually regain its spatial integrity, contributing to the sustainable conservation and promotion of its World Cultural Heritage values.