Hue (VNA) – The central city of Hue is accelerating the restoration of major heritage sites dating back to the Nguyen dynasty (1802–1945), with several projects expected to finish ahead of schedule.
In late 2024, the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre launched a project to conserve and restore the Nam Giao Esplanade at a cost of more than 40 billion VND (1.55 million USD).
Phung Van Hoang, Director of the Hue Monuments Project Management Board under the centre, said the work was expected to be completed in late October or early November 2026, about seven months ahead of schedule.
Built in 1806 under King Gia Long south of the Hue Citadel, the esplanade was where Nguyen dynasty emperors performed rituals to Heaven. It is the only remaining altar to Heaven in Vietnam that remains relatively intact.
Restoration work is also being accelerated at Can Chanh Palace and Thai Mieu (the Nguyen dynasty ancestral temple) inside the Hue Imperial Citadel.
Can Chanh Palace, built in 1804 under King Gia Long, hosted royal audiences, receptions for foreign diplomatic missions and court banquets. Destroyed in 1947, it now retains only its foundations.
A 200-billion-VND restoration project launched in 2025 is scheduled to run until 2029. However, work is expected to finish in November 2027, well ahead of the original April 2029 deadline.
Meanwhile, the first phase of a 52-billion-VND project to conserve and restore the Thai Mieu relic site began in October 2024 and was initially scheduled for completion in 2028. It covers the restoration of gates, walls, foundations and other structures within the complex.
The Hue Monuments Project Management Board said these works were expected to be completed by late December 2026, about 20 months ahead of schedule.
Construction on the main Thai Mieu structure is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027, with an investment of more than 220 billion VND and completion targeted for 2031.
Located in the southeastern corner of the Hue Imperial Citadel, Thai Mieu was built in 1804 under King Gia Long for important royal ceremonies. It was destroyed in 1947, leaving some foundations and auxiliary structures.
Hue has invested nearly 4.8 trillion VND in restoring and embellishing more than 200 heritage structures, most of them within the Complex of Hue Monuments.
During 2026–2030, the city plans to implement 27 projects to rehabilitate, restore and renovate heritage sites, with total investment estimated at more than 1.59 trillion VND./.
