On the morning of February 23 (the 7th day of the Lunar January), at Trieu Mieu and The Mieu - Hue Imperial Citadel, Hue Monuments of Conservation Center held the ceremony to lower the traditional New Year Neu pole and open the New Year seal in a solemn atmosphere, marking the close of Tet holiday and the start of the new working year in accordance with former royal court rituals.

On February 4th (January 7th of the Lunar New Year), the ceremonies of lowering Neu pole and opening the new year seal took place at Trieu Mieu and The Mieu in Hue Imperial Citadel.

The following are some photos taken by Nguyen Phuc Bao Minh, a photographer, during a visit to the Nam Hong Royal Museum (Tu Son, Bac Ninh), with a working group of Hue Monuments Conservation Center, where the “Emperor’s Treasure” golden seal is displayed by Mr. Nguyen The Hong, a businessman.

Under the ancient Nguyen Dynasty, the ceremony of lowering Neu tree was performed to mark the end of the Tet holiday and the normal life of work resumed.

For the first time, more than 100 documents, containing royal seals and autographs, along with many images about the story of the construction of Hue Imperial Citadel, were vividly reenacted through an exhibition held right in the Flag Tower (Ky Dai) area, the Upper Surface of the Citadel rampart, Hue Imperial Citadel.

As the Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced, on November 18th, Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr. Dinh Toan Thang, Vietnamese Ambassador to France, Ms. Le Thi Hong Van, Head of the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Ms. Le Thi Thu Hien, Director General of the Department of Cultural Heritage, together with representatives from Ministry of Public Security (Vietnam), the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, and UNESCO, witnessed the transfer ceremony of the ‘Emperor’s Treasure’ golden seal to Vietnam on the afternoon of November 16th at the Vietnamese Embassy in France.