The hall where King Bao Dai met the Japanese ambassador in 1945. (Photo: aavh.org) Thua Thien-Hue (VNS/VNA) - Hue city, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, has announced plans to restore a palace in the former royal citadel in an attempt to give visitors a glimpse at how the former kings of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) lived. The People’s Committee of Thua Thien-Hue province recently approved funding of 123 billion VND (5.2 million USD) for the restoration of Kien Trung Palace inside the dynasty’s imperial city. It will be the first restoration project to take place at the palace since it was destroyed in 1947 during the war. The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre will oversee the project. The centre’s director Phan Thanh Hai said a plan had been drawn up using old images of the palace. Starting later this year, the restoration project will cover two storeys with three stone stairways carved with dragon designs as well as a dragon embossment on the rooftop. … [Read more...] about Royal palace to be restored to glory
Hue royal palace
Huế to restore royal palace
The hall where King Bảo Đại met the Japanese ambassador in 1945. Photo aavh.org Viet Nam News THỪA THIÊN-HUẾ — The central city of Huế has announced plans to restore a palace in the former royal citadel in an attempt to give visitors a glimpse at how the former kings of the Nguyễn Dynasty (1802-1945) lived. The People’s Committee of Thừa Thiên-Huế Province recently approved funding of VNĐ123 billion (US$5.2 million) for the restoration of Kiến Trung Palace inside the dynasty’s Imperial City. It will be the first restoration project to take place at the palace since it was destroyed by Việt Minh troops in 1947 during the war. The Huế Monuments Conservation Centre will oversee the project. The centre’s director Phan Thanh Hải said a plan had been drawn up using old images of the palace. Starting later this year, the … [Read more...] about Huế to restore royal palace
Hue to be a tourism hotspot on its own
Always a premier tourism destination in the country, the central city of Hue plans to take it up several notches with a renewed focus on longer stays by both domestic and international visitors in the former imperial capital. Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Efforts by local tourism authorities have already borne fruit and they are confident of building on their success in the coming years. Last year, the city welcomed 3.8 million visitors, marking a 16.6 percent year-on-year increase. A remarkable aspect of this growth was a 42.5 percent increase in the number of international visitors. Tourism earnings rose 10 percent to 3.5 trillion VND or 154 million USD in 2017, helping the sector’s social revenue, meaning earnings of other sectors servicing tourists, reach 8.8 trillion VND or 387 million USD. It is also noteworthy that among foreign tourists to the city last year, according to figures released by the Tourism Department of Thua Thien- Hue province. Tourists from … [Read more...] about Hue to be a tourism hotspot on its own
Free entry to Hue, Ho Citadel during Tet
Entry to the Complex of Hue Monuments in the central city of Hue will be free for tourists on the first three days of Tet, February 16 to 18, while entry to the Ho Dynasty Citadel in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa will also be free from February 15 to 17. The Complex of Hue Monuments. Photo: Vietnamworldheritages.org The free entry is to encourage tourists to visit the historical sites during the biggest holiday of the year. On these days in Hue there will also be dragon performances, nha nhac cung dinh Hue (traditional palace music from Hue), folk games, calligraphy, and martial arts performances at Thai Hoa Palace in the Imperial City of Hue. Meanwhile, a similar artistic program is provided at the Ho Dynasty Citadel, including a photo exhibition and a series of musical concerts of Vietnamese folk art, such as cheo (traditional opera), ca tru (sung poetry) and tuong (classical drama). The Ho Dynasty Citadel. Photo: Culturemagazin.com The Complex of Hue … [Read more...] about Free entry to Hue, Ho Citadel during Tet
Untold stories of Da Lat – P3: Royal partition
An exquisitely designed, age-old binh phong (a traditionally-styled, Fengshui-friendly partition) rich in historical significance is an alluring feature of the Palace 2 in Da Lat. >> Untold stories of Da Lat – P2: Stone villa of Nguyen King’s concubine >> Untold stories of Da Lat – P1: Nguyen Dynasty’s trusted retainer At the Governor-General’s Palace (now Palace 2), used by the Lam Dong People’s Committee as a guest house and convention space, hangs an age-old binh phong which intrigues visitors with its decorative patterns. Da Lat is a resort town blessed with a temperate climate and acts as the unofficial capital of the Central Highlands of Vietnam. During the first half of the 20th century, the French all but built Da Lat into a ‘romantic French town’ of their own on the Lang Biang Plateau, replete with hallmark European features. At the time, the town was a hotspot for both Vietnamese and Europeans based in … [Read more...] about Untold stories of Da Lat – P3: Royal partition
Neu pole erected at Hue Imperial Citadel to mark beginning of Tet
A ceremony to plant Neu pole (a tall bamboo tree with red garment strips used to ward off evil spirits during Tet) was organised at Hue Imperial Citadel in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on February 8. The 15-metre bamboo pole was carried by a group of men dressed as soldiers under the Nguyen Dynasty in a procession from the Hien Nhon Gate through the Thai Hoa Palace to arrive at the Ancestral Temple, where it was erected. The erection of the Neu pole on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month marks the beginning of Tet. It coincides with the day when the Kitchen Gods are believed to ride carp fish to the Heaven to report on events from the past year. During 143 years of reign (1802 – 1945), the Nguyen Dynasty held an annual ceremony to plant the Neu pole at the Imperial Citadel. The pole carries ritual items on its top, like a royal seal, a paper scroll and pen, which imply that the royal court stopped working during Tet. The Neu pole is also believed to … [Read more...] about Neu pole erected at Hue Imperial Citadel to mark beginning of Tet
Tenth Hue Festival to take place in April
The tenth Hue Festival, themed “Cultural heritage with integration and development, Hue - one destination five heritages”, will take place from April 27 to May 2 The Hue Festival aims to promote art exchanges among cultures of the country and introduce unique cultural values of Vietnam and Hue to improve tourism growth and strengthen the socio-economic development of Thua Thien-Hue in the process of international integration. So far, the Hue Festival 2018 has attracted more than 20 international art troupes from various countries, including France, the Republic of Korea, Israel, Mongolia, Japan, Thailand, Russia, China and Spain along with many art troupes across the country. This year's festival has linked with political and cultural events of the province such as 50th anniversary of the Mau Than General Offensive and Uprising in Spring 1968, 230th Anniversary of Nguyen Hue Emperor's throne ascension at mountain Ban (1788-2018), 25 years of … [Read more...] about Tenth Hue Festival to take place in April
Hue Festival 2018 slated for late April
The 10th Hue Festival will take place from April 27 to May 2, according to Chairman of the People’s Committee of the central province of Thua Thien-Hue Nguyen Van Cao. Official poster of Hue Festival 2018 Themed “Cultural heritage with integration and development, Hue - one destination five heritages,” the biennial event aims to promote art exchanges among cultures and introducing unique values of the culture of Vietnam and Hue, thus boosting service-tourism growth and strengthening socio-economic development of Thua Thien-Hue.So far, the Hue Festival 2018 has attracted more than 20 international art troupes from various countries, including France, the Republic of Korea, Israel, Mongolia, Japan, Thailand, Russia, China and Spain.The old capital city of Hue owns five UNESCO heritages, including Hue Complex of Monuments, Hue Royal Court Music, Woodblocks of Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), Nguyen Dynasty's royal documents and the royal literature on Hue royal … [Read more...] about Hue Festival 2018 slated for late April
Japanese Emperor visits Hue
Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will leave Hanoi for Hue City on March 3 during their on-going visit to Vietnam.During their time in Hanoi, the emperor met Vietnamese leaders, former Vietnamese students who once studied in Japan and wives and offspring of Japanese war veterans who stayed in Vietnam after World War II. Hue Royal Palace The royal couple also visited the Museum of Biology at the Vietnam National University in Hanoi, where specimens of white goby fish and Onagadori chicken - gifts from the Japanese Royal Family - are preserved.On March 3 afternoon, they will leave Hanoi for Hue city to visit Hue Royal Palace and the memorial to anti-colonial movement leader Phan Boi Chau.According to Hue Royal Palace management board, the couple will see many areas of the place, including Trung Dao Bridge and Thai Hoa Palace. They will also listen to royal court music at Duyet Thi Duong Theatre.During the stay in Hue, the royal couple will meet the Japanese community in … [Read more...] about Japanese Emperor visits Hue
Vietnamese woman takes rural students to royal city in order to learn English
A young woman in a province in Vietnam helps to improve the English command of students in her hometown by organizing non-profit tours to a former imperial city of nationwide popularity. Nguyen Thi Hai Oanh, living in Quang Tri Province, single-handedly manages the so-called Amazing English Tour, which offers hands-on activities of talking with English-speaking visitors. Elementary, middle and high school students participate in the tour in Hai Lang, which is the district Nguyen Thi Hai Oanh lives in. The trip is free, which means the children pay nothing but bus fares and expenses on meals and drinks, but Oanh sometimes has to chip in her own money to cover unexpected costs. The tour’s destination is the royal palace inside a citadel in Hue City, which is located south of her home region. Hue was Vietnam's imperial capital. Meeting at her house, the tour group consisting of children and led by Oanh departs in the early morning and travels back home before dusk falls. The … [Read more...] about Vietnamese woman takes rural students to royal city in order to learn English