In the depth of Hue culture, gardens are not merely green zones, acting as supporting elements for architecture, but a constituent factor shaping the urban identity. Hue is famous for the Perfume River, Mount Ngu, the Citadel, royal tombs, pagodas, and noble residences, but Hue is also well known for its gardens. In Hue, gardens soften architecture, calm the everyday life, deepen poetry, and create a unique urban style: a garden city, a city of poetry, the harmony between man and nature, or “an urban poem” as said by M’Bow, former Director-General of UNESCO.

On September 29, the Hue Garden house Management and Protection Board, belonging to Hue People’s Committee held a groundbreaking ceremony for the renovation of the garden house located at No.3 Pham Thi Lien St., Kim Long ward, Hue City.

Nguyen Huu Thong, researcher, former Deputy Director of Hue Sub-Institute of Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts, made such assessment of the story of Hue garden houses during a seminar held on April 21st at An Nhien Garden space (Phu Thuong Ward, Hue City).

Phuoc Tich ancient village is surrounded by the O Lau river in Phong Hoa Commune, (Phong Dien District), which is 40km north of Hue City. The village was founded in 1470, during the reign of Le Thanh Tong. With its poetic scenery, valuable architecture of ruong houses and garden houses, and unique cultural institutions, etc., the village was recognized as a national relic in 2009. Currently, the functional agencies are preparing a dossier to propose the village to be recognized as a special national relic.

At the seminar "Hollowness and Open Space of the City" jointly organized by ASHUI, Tich Thien Vien and Thua Thien Hue Association of Architects, speakers and architects with diverse perspectives exchanged many interesting stories and experiences about gardens and open space inside houses and the “hollow and open” space within the city.