HUE, (Vietnam): The central city of Hue will invest VNĐ80 billion (US$3.1 million) over the next three years to restore sections of the walls surrounding the Imperial Citadel, part of the Unesco-listed Complex of Hue Monuments.
The project, scheduled for implementation between 2026 and 2028, will also reinforce damaged stone embankments and railings around the Kim Thuy Moat.
According to the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre's project management board, the restoration project will cover about 2.4km of the wall system.
The Imperial Citadel forms the second defensive enclosure inside the Hue Citadel, on the northern bank of the Huong (Perfume) River.
Beyond its military function, the walls protected the Nguyen dynasty's royal palaces, ancestral temples and the Forbidden Purple City.
Each side of the brick wall stretches roughly 600m, stands about four metres high and one metre thick. The walls are surrounded by a moat and lake system collectively known as the Kim Thuy Moat.
Centuries of exposure to harsh weather have left many sections of the walls in poor condition, particularly along the northern and eastern sides.
In November 2025, a 14.2m section bordering Dang Thai Than Street, about 180m east of Hoa Binh Gate, collapsed after prolonged heavy rainfall and flooding in late October and early November.
The damaged section, with an average height of 4.3m, was restored at a cost of approximately VNĐ1.2 billion ($46,000), with work completed in early June 2026.
The city is also carrying out restoration work on several major Nguyen dynasty heritage sites.
The nearly VNĐ200 billion ($7.7 million) restoration of Can Chanh Palace, or the Main Audience Hall, inside the Forbidden Purple City is scheduled for completion in 2029.
The restoration of Quoc Tu Giam (the Imperial Academy), located to the left of the Imperial Citadel, is also expected to be completed in 2029.
The VNĐ108 billion ($4.2 million) project includes the restoration of Di Luan Palace, or the Main Lecture Hall, the students' study halls and dormitories, and the Tam Quan (Three-Arched) Gate.
Meanwhile, the VNĐ132 billion ($5.1 million) restoration and adaptive conservation project at Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) in Kim Long Ward is expected to be completed in 2028. - Vietnam News/ANN
