Spending more than 80 billion VND on restoration, Ngu Phung Palace relic degraded after 4 years of opening - Lang Son Newspaper and Radio and Television Station

Discolored and degraded scene at Ngu Phung Palace relic (Hue Citadel ) after 4 years of opening to welcome visitors

Ngu Phung Tower located on Ngo Mon Gate is an important relic in the Hue Citadel system belonging to the Hue Monuments Complex recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage. After many years of closure for restoration, in 2021 the relic was reopened to welcome visitors with a system of columns, gilded doors, and beautiful glazed tile roofs. In the picture is a photo of Ngu Phung Tower taken in 2021 after restoration. (Photo: X.D)

However, according to VTC News's reporter at the end of May 2025, Ngu Phung Tower has many degraded items after 4 years of opening to welcome guests. Most notably, the items with gilded paint are peeling and fading.

The photo on the left was taken in May 2021 and the photo on the right was taken in May 2025, showing that the Ngu Phung Palace relic has deteriorated a lot after 4 years of reopening to visitors.

The column system, which was originally painted red, is now faded and peeling.

The wooden ceiling system on Ngu Phung Floor is degraded, patchy and moldy.

It can be seen that after 4 years, the Ngu Phung Tower has clearly changed in color. From a fresh, shiny appearance, the building has become discolored and faded.

In addition to the fading gold paint, some wooden items on the Ngu Phung Tower also show signs of damage and deterioration after 4 years.

Painter Nguyen Phuoc Vinh Khanh - who has many years of research and participation in the restoration of Hue relics and tombs of the Nguyen Dynasty, assessed that visually, it can be seen that the Ngu Phung tower is deteriorating very quickly, proving that the restoration work of this construction has problems. Normally, after being restored, relics can exist for decades before needing to be restored again due to the impact of time and weather.

"The restoration has only been a few years and it has deteriorated so quickly. Personally, I think it is highly likely that the process and materials used in the restoration work were not up to standard...", artist Nguyen Phuoc Vinh Khach worries.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center affirmed that during the restoration of the Ngu Phung Pavilion, the unit tried to follow the design. However, the deterioration and discoloration of the structure was due to the harsh weather in Hue affecting the quality of the structure.

The leaders of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center affirmed that they will set up a team of experts to survey and re-evaluate the current situation, thereby proposing the most suitable plan to restore the Ngu Phung Tower relic.

According to the book Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi, Ngu Phung Tower is located above Ngo Mon Gate on the south side of the Imperial Citadel, in front of Thai Hoa Palace. Under King Gia Long, this place was Nam Khuyet Palace, above was Can Nguyen Palace with two gates Ta Doan and Huu Doan. In 1833, King Minh Mang changed it to 5 gates; in the middle was Ngo Mon, the two gates on the two sides were called Ta Giap Mon, Huu Giap Mon, the two gates Khuyet Mon left and right, above was Ngu Phung Tower.
After a period of war and severe natural disasters, the building was severely degraded and underwent many major restorations. In 2012, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center restored the architecture with a total cost of more than 80 billion VND. The Institute of Construction Science and Technology was the unit that carried out the restoration in both phases. In early 2021, the Ngu Phung Palace relic began to reopen to visitors after many years of restoration.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/chi-hon-80-ty-dong-trung-tu-di-tich-lau-ngu-phung-xuong-cap-sau-4-nam-mo-cua-5048309.html