Hue’s Thai Hoa Palace to welcome back visitors in November after renovation

Speaking to local media, Hoang Viet Trung, director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre, announced that the extensive restoration project for Thai Hoa Palace is expected to be completed in time for Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day on November 23.

During the Lunar New Year 2024, Thai Hoa Palace briefly opened to visitors with 70 per cent of the restoration completed.

Thai Hoa Palace during restoration. Photo: Nguyen Phong (baothuathienhue.vn)

In late 2021, the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre (HMCC) commenced the conservation and comprehensive restoration of the palace, with a total investment of nearly VND129 billion ($5.4 million), sourced from the central budget, local budget, and other funds.

The main goal of the restoration project is to maintain the monument's original integrity. To achieve this, HMCC used 3D scanning before dismantling to guide the reconstruction accurately and maintain the original features.

The restoration project has reinforced the foundations, restored the brick floor, steps, walls, and architectural details, repaired and repainted the wooden frames and roof, applied lacquer and gilding, replaced roof tiles, and renovated eave borders, ceramic decorations, and ornamental paintings.

The project has also restored key furnishings and the golden throne, reinforced the courtyard and balustrades, and renovated the garden, lighting, and systems for drainage and fire control.

With over 200 years of history, Thai Hoa Palace is the most significant building in Hue Imperial City. It was home to emperors, and a venue for court meetings, major ceremonies, and important rituals, symbolising the imperial court's seat of power and chronicling the history of the 13th Nguyen Dynasty emperors.

According to the HMCC, Thai Hoa Palace is representative of the architectural style of Hue Imperial City that has been preserved to this day. It is not only an architectural landmark but also a repository of a unique poetry and decor, recognised by UNESCO as a documentary heritage under the Memory of the World Programme for the Asia-Pacific region.

Currently, the HMCC sells an average of 10,000 tickets per day to visitors touring the heritage sites under its management.

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