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German company Karcher, which specializes in cleaning technologies and equipment, did the work as part of a cultural sponsorship program.
It was the first time Ngo Mon, as the gate is known in Vietnamese, was cleaned using modern technology. The company used high-pressure steam to remove dirt and biological contaminants that had accumulated over the years.
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The cleanup was headed by Thorsten Marco Mowes, a Karcher expert in cleaning and sanitation technology, and Andrea Teufel, a German conservation expert who has been working on the Hue heritage site for 15 years.
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They had to use ladders to reach the upper parts of the structure.
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Thorsten Marco Mowes instructs an employee.
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The German expert also personally took part in the operation, which returned the bricks to their original color.
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Many of the nearly-200-year-old gate's bricks have regained their bright red color following the cleanup.
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Many of the nearly 200-year-old gate's bricks (L) have regained their bright red color after 15 days.
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The German company will conclude the cleanup and hand over the gate to Hue authorities on Friday.
The imperial citadel is a part of Hue’s Complex of Monuments, a UNESCO world heritage site.
It has many relics from the era of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), the last feudal rulers of Vietnam, and is among the top historical and tourism sites in the country.