Relive a palace

After a major restoration, with the thinking of heritage conservationists and the talented hands of artisans, Thai Hoa Palace - the architecture and culture of the Nguyen Dynasty is being "dressed in a new coat" with old patterns. The majestic and splendid works are helping Hue City move towards new development.

Hue Monuments Conservation Center reconstructs the royal court session at Thai Hoa Palace after restoration.

The great restoration of heritage

With a history of more than 200 years, Thai Hoa Palace is the most important palace in the Hue Imperial City area that has been preserved intact to this day and is the place where the throne is located, where the ceremonial activities of the Nguyen Dynasty take place. This is considered the pinnacle of Hue royal architecture. Over hundreds of years of existence, under the impact of time and harsh climate, despite many restorations and renovations, Thai Hoa Palace is still seriously degraded. Over the past 3 years, Thai Hoa Palace in the Forbidden City of Hue Citadel has been restored. There are up to 111 artisans and skilled workers in many fields such as lacquering, masonry, wood carving... continuously working 3 shifts a day with all the quintessence and passion of the profession to contribute to the heritage. The project to preserve and restore the Thai Hoa Palace relic has been approved by the People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue province with a total investment of more than 129 billion VND, including the central budget, local budget and other mobilized sources. After more than 3 years of restoration, Thai Hoa Palace is expected to be completed in August 2025. However, thanks to the efforts of functional agencies and hundreds of artisans, Thai Hoa Palace was inaugurated and welcomed visitors at the end of November 2024.

An artisan meticulously carves the image of a dragon mascot on a pillar inside Thai Hoa Palace.

Mr. Ho Huu Hanh, Director of Hue Monuments Restoration Joint Stock Company, said that Thai Hoa Palace is a valuable relic, so the process of dismantling and restoration was carried out very carefully and elaborately. Before dismantling, the construction unit also marked the location on each component before dismantling according to the approved design documents. The restoration unit took photos of the current status, measured, re-stamped the decorative patterns on the gilded dragon-shaped columns, decorative patterns on the roof edges, measured and recorded the technical parameters of the wooden frame system, roof structure, etc. In addition to restoring the components and repainting the wooden details, about 300 taels of pure gold were plated on the motifs inside Thai Hoa Palace. During the restoration process, all details were 3D scanned to store all collected data of the project, then digitized all 3D images to serve the restoration and storage work, and at the same time serve visitors to experience the virtual space of this project. In particular, there is always a scientific council consisting of leading experts and researchers of Hue to exchange and discuss construction solutions to choose the optimal plan, ensuring accuracy and honoring the value of the relic.

Thai Hoa Palace after being restored is extremely splendid.

Mr. Truong The Luc, a craftsman restoring Thai Hoa Palace, shared: “In the past time, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center has implemented the project with a careful, scientific and methodical process to achieve the highest efficiency in the restoration work. For every artisan of Hue, being able to contribute to the preservation and restoration of such a valuable heritage is a great honor that is not easy to achieve. Therefore, we try our best, bringing all the quintessence of our profession to serve the work”. In response to that effort, the appearance of Thai Hoa Palace has appeared majestic and magnificent. The Hue Monuments Conservation Center has solemnly awarded certificates of merit to dozens of artisans and skilled workers for their great contributions to the preservation and restoration of Thai Hoa Palace over the past time.

All decorative motifs and gilding are handcrafted by highly skilled artisans, meticulously paying attention to every detail.

Reviving the Imperial Palace of the Ancient Capital of Hue, a symbol of magnificence and antiquity with an area of ​​over 500 hectares containing hundreds of years of culture and history of the nation. Through the ups and downs of history and time, the ancient capital of Hue still carries within itself a harmonious architecture between classical and modern styles. Hue culture is unique and diverse, rich in many fields such as literature, music , theater, fine arts, customs, festivals, culinary culture, communication style and lifestyle... Thua Thien Hue is preserving nearly 1,000 historical and cultural relics and more than 500 festivals of all kinds. The ancient capital of Hue is a symbol of grandeur with citadels, palaces, temples, mausoleums and ancient temples. In December 1993, the complex of Hue monuments was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage, the Cultural and Artistic Center of Vietnam with natural beauty and creative people. Thua Thien Hue currently has 7 UNESCO-recognized heritages, including 5 heritages of Hue alone and 2 heritages shared with other localities.

The Hue Monuments Conservation Center awarded certificates of merit to dozens of artisans and skilled workers for their great contributions to the conservation and restoration of Thai Hoa Palace in recent times.

The contributions of artisans in the conservation and restoration work not only help preserve the unique beauty of Thai Hoa Palace relic but also contribute to preserving and promoting the precious cultural values ​​of the Hue Ancient Capital Heritage.

Mr. Hoang Viet Trung, Director of Hue Monuments Conservation Center

Currently, the Party Committee, the Government and the People are focusing resources to build and develop Thua Thien Hue into a centrally-run city. In particular, Hue heritage and Hue cultural identity are the foundation and driving force for development in the coming years. The major restorations of Thai Hoa Palace or Kien Trung Palace and many other works further highlight the value of the heritage, affirming that the strength of national culture is increasingly preserved and promoted properly. Source: https://baodantoc.vn/song-lai-mot-hoang-cung-1735546741403.htm