Inside the deteriorating Hue royal palace

By Vo Thanh June 3, 2021 | 04:00 pm PT

Thai Hoa Palace, part of the UNESCO-recognized Hue Imperial Citadel, has been badly deteriorating.

The Thai Hoa Palace was built in 1805 during the reign of King Gia Long, the first ruler of Nguyen Dynasty, Vietnams last royal family (1802-1945). It used to be the venue for political discussions, coronation ceremonies and the kings birthday party.

The Thai Hoa Palace was built in 1805 during the reign of King Gia Long, the first ruler of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), Vietnam's last royal family. It used to be the venue for political discussions, coronation ceremonies and the king's birthday celebrations.

Covering an area of 1,360 square meters, the floor of Thai Hoa Palace is 1 meter higher than the courtyard. The palace is supported by 80 ironwood pillars decorated with dragons that symbolize power of the Nguyen Dynasty. The front and main halls of the palace were connected by a system of arched ceiling, which looks like the crab shell.

Covering an area of 1,360 square meters, it is supported by 80 ironwood pillars decorated with dragons symbolizing the power of the Nguyen Dynasty. The front and main halls of the palace are connected by a system of arched ceilings, which gives a crab shell-like appearance.

The throne where the emperors sat and received the salutations or listened to the reports of court mandarins is placed in the middle of Thai Hoa Palace and is a unique artifact with many historical and cultural values. The throne is 101 cm high and 87 cm long. Above the throne is the gold plated canopy, carved with a sophisticated dragon figure. In January 2016, the throne was listed as a national treasure.

The kings’ throne is in the middle of the palace, and is a unique historical and cultural artifact. Above it is a gold-plated roof with a sophisticated dragon carving. In 2016 the throne was designated a national treasure.

After more than 200 years of existence with many restorations, Thai Hoa Palace still retains its majesty. However, due to harsh weather in Hue caused the royal palace to seriously deteriorate when many wooden structures rotted and roof tiles were damaged.

After more than 200 years and many restorations, Thai Hoa Palace retains its majesty. However, the harsh weather in Hue has taken its toll with many wooden structures having rotted and roof tiles being damaged.

For years, the Center for Conservation of Hue Monuments, which manages the Hue Imperial Citadel and other relics from the Nguyen Dynasty, had to use iron bars to reinforce the components of Thai Hoa Palace to prevent the work from being collapsed.

For years the Center for Conservation of Hue Monuments, which manages the Hue Imperial Citadel and other Nguyen Dynasty relics, has had to use metal bars to prop up parts of the structure to prevent them from collapsing.

A rotted ironwood pillar of Thai Hoa Palace is kept and displayed inside the palace.

A rotted ironwood pillar is displayed inside the palace.

A tropical storm last year severely damaged part of the roof of the palace, forcing the center to temporarily replace with iron roof to avoid damage.

A storm last year severely damaged part of the palace’s roof, and the center put up a temporary corrugated roof.

The dragon system on the palaces roof is temporarily supported by iron bars.

The dragon on the palace's roof is temporarily supported by metal bars.

The center had earlier submitted a proposal to the culture ministry for a VND150 billion ($6.49 million) renovation project to save the palace.Before repair project, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has recently allowed the center to carry out archaeological excavation inside the Palace to assess its foundation and brick system. The excavation will start June 5 and last for 15 days.

The center has submitted a VND150-billion ($6.53 million) proposal to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to renovate the palace.
The ministry recently permitted the center to carry out excavations inside the palace to assess its foundation and brick system. The work will start on June 5.