Nguyen Dynasty throne - National treasure violated

According to information from the People's Committee of Hue City, at 11:55 a.m. on May 24, 2025, Ho Van Phuong Tam (42 years old), residing at Group 7, Area 4, Huong Long Ward, Phu Xuan District, Hue City) bought an entrance ticket to the Hue Imperial City.

Through camera extraction and initial verification by the authorities, at the time of the incident, there were two security guards on duty in the Thai Hoa Palace area, Mr. Dang Quang Long and Mr. Dao Hoang Vu.

The subject Ho Van Phuong Tam sitting on the throne of the Nguyen Dynasty is displayed in the space of Thai Hoa Palace.

When entering the Thai Hoa Palace area, Ho Van Phuong Tam showed unusual behavior. A security guard approached and invited him to leave the area, however, he suddenly returned, sneaked into the throne display space, shouted loudly and damaged the left armrest of the throne.

In order to prevent Tam from acting rashly and destroying other exhibits, security guards at Thai Hoa Palace approached from a distance, reminded the subject to go outside, and called to request additional support.

A part with a dragon head attached to the throne was damaged by Tam and fell out.

At 12:10 p.m. the same day, the security force controlled Tam and handed him over to Dong Ba Ward Police to make a record of the arrest of the criminal red-handed.

However, due to signs of psychosis and inability to control behavior and speech, subject Ho Van Phuong Tam could not answer the investigator's questions and was forced to wait for the results of a psychiatric assessment by the authorities as prescribed.

According to information from Huong Long Ward Police, Ho Van Phuong Tam used to live on the streets in Ho Chi Minh City, had a history of drug addiction and was sent to a compulsory drug rehabilitation facility by the People's Court of Tan Binh District (Ho Chi Minh City) under Decision No. 108/2023/QD-TA dated July 18, 2023. In mid-May 2025, Tam returned to Hue, asked to stay at a relative's house but was not accepted and has been living on the streets since then.

The security force controlled the subject Tam and handed him over to Dong Ba Ward Police to make a record for processing.

Currently, the Hue City Police Investigation Agency is coordinating with the Phu Xuan District People's Procuracy to request a psychiatric assessment and collect evidence to clarify the responsibilities of related individuals and units, and handle them in accordance with legal procedures.

Immediately after the incident, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center returned the Nguyen Dynasty throne to its storage facility and displayed the restored version to continue serving tourists.

The Hue Monuments Conservation Center has returned the Nguyen Dynasty throne to its storage facility and is displaying the restored version to continue serving visitors.

The Hue Monuments Conservation Center will also invite experts and artisans to evaluate and develop appropriate restoration plans; at the same time, there will be plans to increase personnel and means to ensure the safety of the system of displayed artifacts.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/ngai-vang-vua-trieu-nguyen-bao-vat-quoc-gia-bi-xam-hai-post882202.html