Military bunkers inside Hue citadel to be dismantled

Lô cốt quân sự bên trong kinh thành Huế sắp được tháo dỡ - Ảnh 1. — An abandoned military bunker in Thuan Loc ward (Phu Xuan district, Hue city) located inside Hue citadel - Photo: NHAT LINH

On April 22, Colonel Phan Thang - commander of the Hue City Military Command - said that the unit is waiting for the Ministry of National Defense to complete the final procedures to dismantle military bunkers built under the old regime before 1975 inside the Hue Citadel relic.

According to statistics, currently the Hue Citadel relic area has 31 old defense structures, including 26 bunkers, 2 watchtowers, 2 bunkers and 1 air defense position.

The above structures were all built by the US military between 1957 and 1975. Over time, they have been severely damaged, affecting the beauty of the relic site.

Through assessment, the works are no longer effective in the national defense area.

Therefore, Hue City proposed that the Ministry of National Defense agree to the policy of dismantling and converting the purpose of old defense works, restoring the original value of Hue Citadel relics, ensuring space, landscape and environment in the area.

Lô cốt quân sự bên trong kinh thành Huế sắp được tháo dỡ - Ảnh 3. — Military bunker located in the western area of Thuy Quan citadel in Hue citadel relic - Photo: NHAT LINH

According to Mr. Thang, the proposal to dismantle the above mentioned military bunkers was basically agreed upon by the Ministry of National Defense, creating conditions for the locality to promote the value of Hue Citadel relics.

Because these works are part of the system of regional defense military works, the decommissioning must wait for the Ministry of National Defense to complete the necessary procedures.

"After completing the procedures, we will proceed with the demolition as soon as possible," said Mr. Thang.

Hue Citadel is being restored

The Hue Monuments Conservation Center said that the restoration and embellishment work on the western side of the Hue Citadel, in Thuan Hoa Ward (Phu Xuan District, Hue City) is still being carried out with a total cost of 49.3 billion VND.

According to the plan, the upper part of Hue Citadel will be renovated with a length of 892m and a width of 21m, including items such as leveling, filling soil, and paving Bat Trang bricks for the walking path and artillery pedestal.

For the citadel moat, the project focuses on renovating and embellishing the internal stone embankment system with a length of 1,159m, stretching from Quan Tuong Monument to the west of Thuy Quan citadel. Damaged and eroded embankment sections were dismantled, cleaned and old materials were reused during the restoration process.

The project is implemented by a joint venture between the Institute of Construction Science and Technology and Hanoi Construction and Restoration Joint Stock Company, and is expected to be completed in October 2027.