Light is one of the attractions for tourists participating in Hue Festivals. Photo: Dinh Hoang

In the Hue royal palace, light is not only for illumination, but also conveys messages about ritual, hierarchy, majesty and magic. Lanterns, wax candles, torches… were once used to light up ceremonies, grand banquets or royal tours. Today, modern lighting continues the role of ancient candlelight, carrying the responsibility of preserving the soul of heritage.

Many people and tourists attending the Hue Festival were impressed with the "Royal Night", an activity that recreates the sparkling beauty of the Imperial City in traditional cultural activities of the past. Since then, the potential of exploiting the relic space at night has been paid attention to and focused on. The works in the Complex of Hue Monuments such as Ngo Mon, Thai Hoa Palace, Kien Trung Palace, etc., when invested in proper lighting, have brought about attractive visual effects, evoking the emotions of viewers, as if telling a golden story through images, lines, and colors.

“Lighting for heritage” is also the topic of the speech presented by the Hue Monuments Conservation Center at the National Lighting Scientific Conference 2025, held in Hue at the end of May. The topic received much attention due to its uniqueness and potential. Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Hong Tien, Chairman of the Vietnam Lighting Association, said that Hue City has cleverly used light to highlight architectural works, creating depth for the works at night. This is also the foundation for digital transformation in conservation activities through digital monument light maps, virtual reality tour applications or connecting smart tourism experiences...

At the conference, a representative of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center said that the lighting system in the Hue Monuments Complex currently still has many limitations such as: uneven lighting, high energy consumption, negative impacts on ancient materials... affecting the aesthetic quality, energy efficiency and conservation requirements of the project.

According to Mr. Hoang Viet Trung, Director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center, the biggest difficulty in heritage lighting still lies in the fragile boundary between modern requirements and conservation principles. The Law on Cultural Heritage and UNESCO regulations strictly stipulate that the original architecture is not damaged, so any intervention must be carefully calculated to ensure that the current status is not changed. These items also face many limitations in construction and maintenance, and it is also difficult to integrate new technologies to preserve the ancient beauty of the building.

These limitations have created an urgent need for new lighting solutions for monuments. A synchronous lighting system, harmonious in aesthetics and technical standards will not only better protect the value of objects, but also contribute to shaping the cultural appearance of the heritage city at night. The Hue Monuments Conservation Center is gradually researching to apply smart lighting technology and use modern LED lights in lighting monuments.

Smart lighting technology can control light according to context, time, and event, making it convenient to use for cultural events. Meanwhile, LED technology solves the existing problems of traditional lights such as high power consumption, high heat generation, glare, and rapid degradation. “By combining conservation principles, traditional lighting aesthetics, and modern technological solutions, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center aims to build a flexible, intelligent lighting ecosystem that respects original values,” said Mr. Hoang Viet Trung.

To realize these orientations, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center has proposed to establish a Master Plan for the lighting system of the entire Hue Monuments Complex in the medium and long term. At the same time, it has proposed a model for socialized lighting of monuments, calling on businesses, international organizations and the community to participate in investment and funding in the direction of the State managing - orienting, businesses investing - operating the lighting system. The establishment of the "Light for Hue Heritage" Fund is also a feasible direction, gathering resources from the community, overseas Vietnamese, and international organizations that love Vietnamese culture.

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Source: https://huengaynay.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/anh-sang-giu-hon-di-san-155239.html