A 40,000 USD grant from the US will be used for the restoration and embellishment of the Cam Gia communal house in An Tuong commune, Vinh Tuong district, in northern Vinh Phuc province.

The news was announced by US Embassy Counselor for Public Affairs Terry J. White at a ceremony at the Cam Gia communal house on August 12.

The grant, channeled through the US Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), will aid the preservation and restoration of the architectural structure of the Cam Gia communal house to counter the effects of severe degradation.

The communal house, built in 1811, was recognised as “national historical, cultural vestige” in 1996. It possesses carved arrays typically present in the transitional period between architectural styles from the late Le dynasty (1428-1789) to the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945).

The AFCP was established by the US Department of State in 2001 to help less-developed countries preserve cultural heritage and to demonstrate US respect for other cultures.

Since then, the AFCP has supported more than 800 cultural preservation projects worldwide, totalling 46 million USD (including 13 projects in Vietnam ).-VNA