On the morning of June 4th, at Thai Hoa Palace in Hue Imperial Citadel, the Nguyen Dynasty Throne, a National Treasure, was returned to public display after the completion of restoration work.

This was the theme of a workshop jointly organized on May 7-8 by the University of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue University, in collaboration with Viet Nature Conservation Centre, Hue Forest Owners Sustainable Development Association (HUE-FOSDA), Hue City Forest Protection Department, and Phong Dien Nature Reserve Management Board.

The Quoc Tu Giam heritage site is currently being dismantled as part of a large-scale conservation and restoration project with a total budget of more than 108 billion VND.

After nearly 80 years during which only its foundational vestiges survived, Dien Can Chanh (Palace of Diligent Governance) - the central venue for major political activities of the Nguyen Dynasty - is being prepared for restoration on a rigorous scientific basis.

On December 29, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Scientific Council for the appraisal of the Master Plan for the preservation, restoration and rehabilitation of the Complex of Hue Monuments to 2030, with a vision to 2050 met, discussed, and reached a consensus to approve this significant planning content.

On September 30, a working delegation from Hue City People's Committee, led by Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the City People's Committee, along with Mr. Hoang Hai Minh, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee, inspected the erosion situation along the Bo River, the O Lau River, and the restoration efforts following the aftermath of Typhoon No. 10 in several localities.

A kite originating from Hue, which has been preserved for nearly 60 years in a museum in the United States, was discovered by a Vietnamese restoration expert. Through numerous accompanying documents, together with a passion for cultural roots, that expert “told the story” about how the kite was ordered in Hue Ancient Capital, then taken all the way to the U.S., and became an artistic artifact, etc…. It was truly fascinating.

“Up to now, nearly 200 works and items within the Complex of Hue Monuments have been preserved, restored, and renovated, with a total expense of over 2.000 billion VND. This work has always strictly complied with the regulations of the 1972 World Heritage Convention, UNESCO guidelines, and the Law on Cultural Heritage of Vietnam, ensuring authenticity, integrity, and adaptability to the harsh climate conditions of the Central region of Vietnam, etc.,”. These details were shared by Hue Monuments Conservation Center to Mr. Lazare Eloundou, Director of UNESCO Cultural Heritage Center during his visit and working trip in Vietnam at the end of May.

It is the sophisticated sharp carving and the glittering lacquer layers, especially the shiny gold color, that make the relics in Hue look superb and majestic. Visitors to relics not only admire the constructions themselves but also recognize the talent and the wholeheartedness of artisans.

The work of collecting and digitizing documents is incredibly important and has never been enough to effectively carry out the restoration of cultural heritage. For the cultural heritage of Hue, this need is even more urgent as the Complex of Monuments of Hue Imperial City still has many structures awaiting sufficient documentation to complete scientific files for restoration purposes.