 |
| Thai Hoa Palace is considered the ‘heart’ of Hue Imperial Palace |
The Imperial Capital regains its former appearance
Among the most notable projects is Thai Hoa Palace, where important ceremonies were held under the Nguyen Dynasty. After nearly 3 years of restoration, the palace has regained its former majestic appearance.
Kien Trung Palace has also reopened after 5 years of restoration from the remaining foundation after the war. Based on historical documents, the palace was reconstructed with architectural features characteristic of the late Nguyen Dynasty, helping visitors gain a better understanding of royal life under the reign of Emperor Khai Dinh and Emperor Bao Dai.
After years of joint effort, Hue and Da Nang completed a project to conserve, restore, and promote the value of Hai Van Frontier Post (Hai Van Quan). Located atop Hai Van Pass, the site once played an important role in transportation, military, and trade. Following its restoration, the site continues to promote its historical value while becoming a destination along the route connecting the two localities.
Conservation work continues to expand through several large-scale projects. In early 2026, a project to embellish and adaptively restore Quoc Tu Giam (Royal National University) and Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) was launched. Under the plan, the restoration of Van Mieu is scheduled for completion by the end of 2028, while the restoration of Quoc Tu Giam is expected to be completed in 2029.
Earlier, a comprehensive conservation and restoration project for Thai To Mieu Temple was launched. The project is completing its first phase, and preparing to move into restoration of the main hall, where the 9 Nguyen Lords, from Nguyen Hoang to Nguyen Phuc Thuan, were worshipped.
Numerous other notable structures have also been restored recently, including the Noon Gate, Hien Lam Cac Pavilion, The Mieu Temple complex, Dien Tho Palace, Duyet Thi Duong Theater, Truong Sanh Palace, and the tombs of Emperor Dong Khanh, Emperor Minh Mang, Emperor Tu Duc, and Emperor Khai Dinh, as well as An Dinh Palace, etc.
Among the projects currently underway, Can Chanh Palace has drawn particular attention because of its special position within the structure of the Nguyen Dynasty’s royal court.
Located on the axis, behind Thai Hoa Palace, Can Chanh Palace once served as the site of the Emperor’s daily court sessions, where he worked with the Royal Cabinet, received foreign envoys, and held banquets on festive occasions. While Thai Hoa Palace was associated with major royal ceremonies, Can Chanh Palace is tied to the Emperor’s day-to-day administrative activities.
After the war, only the foundation and sections of the old walls remained. According to Mr. Ho Huu Hanh, Director of the Hue Monuments Restoration Joint Stock Company, research, document collection, and architectural studies for the palace’s reconstruction had been carried out for decades. It was not until 2024, after historical documents had been collected, images compared, architectural studies conducted and a scientific basis completed, that the project was ready to proceed.
The project was launched in late 2024, and officially began construction in April 2025. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2028.
Mr. Hoang Viet Trung, Director of Hue Monuments Conservation Center, said that the project aims to reconstruct Can Chanh Palace while completing the central space of the Forbidden Purple City.
“When completed, Can Chanh Palace, together with Dai Cung Mon Gate and the surrounding landscape, will create a seamless connection along the axis of the Imperial Palace, meeting both conservation requirements and sightseeing needs of local residents and visitors,” said Mr. Trung.
According to an assessment of Hue’s relic system in 1990, the Complex of Hue Monuments originally comprised around 850 architectural structures, of which only 460 remained. About 80% of the structures were in urgent need of restoration. Many palaces, fortifications, and royal tombs had been reduced to foundations or fallen into serious disrepair.
Faced with this situation, the Government carried out many investment programs to rescue the heritage. In the period of 1996 - 2010, the project of ‘Planning, conservation, and promotion of the value of Hue Ancient Capital monuments’ allocated 720 billion VND to restore more than 80 key structures. In the period of 2010 - 2020, more than 2.3 trillion VND was invested to conserve and restore more than 170 structures.
Additional resources from international cooperation
Alongside domestic resources, international cooperation has played a significant role in the conservation of Hue’s heritage over the past four decades. From the UNESCO’s appeal to save Hue’s heritage in 1981 to the inscription of the Complex of Hue Monuments in 1993, Hue gradually gained access to international conservation methods, techniques, and experience.
To date, Hue Monuments Conservation Center has carried out 55 international cooperation programs and projects, involving 15 governments, more than 50 non-governmental organizations, and over 10 international consulting organisations, mobilizing more than 10.5 million USD in resources.
Cooperation programs with UNESCO, Waseda University (Japan), the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), the World Monuments Fund (WMF), and experts from Germany and South Korea, among other organizations, have supported Hue with funding, technical expertise, and human-resource training.
The collection of historical documents abroad, particularly in France, has also provided valuable architectural records for research and the restoration of structures such as Thai Hoa Palace, Kien Trung Palace, and Can Chanh Palace.
Alongside architectural restoration, cooperation programs have also focused on research into traditional materials, archaeology, artifact conservation, professional training, and the standardization of conservation procedures.
“One new direction of cooperation being promoted is digital transformation,” said Mr. Hoang Viet Trung.
Technologies such as 3D laser scanning, heritage building information modeling (HBIM), digital twin, augmented reality (AR), and extended reality (XR) are being applied to record the current state, support research and restoration, and create new forms of experience.
According to Mr. Trung, heritage conservation must go hand in hand with bringing heritage into everyday life.
“Conservation must go hand in hand with appropriate utilization, promoting both tangible and intangible cultural values, creating new tourism products, and generating resources for continued reinvestment in conservation,” emphasized Mr. Trung.
This direction has been concretized in the project ‘Utilizing and promoting the value of the Complex of Hue Monuments to 2035’, recently approved by the Chairman of Hue City People’s Committee under Decision No. 2376/QD-UBND.
Under the project, the heritage will be placed within a heritage economy ecosystem, with a range of development directions, including heritage education, cultural industries, the night-time economy, digital transformation, creative experiences, artistic performances, traditional craft villages, heritage-inspired fashion, and souvenir products.
Virtual reality applications, multilingual audio guides, digital maps, 3D mapping, and holograms are also being considered to make heritage more accessible and improve the experience.
From structures reduced to foundations to projects now underway, the appearance of Hue’s Imperial Capital is gradually being restored. Conservation efforts are also increasingly linked to appropriate utilization, generating the resources needed to keep preserving the heritage.