A project to restore the Phung Tien Hall, an ancestral worship hall in the imperial citadel of Hue, has been completed after 13 months with the help of German funds and technical assistance.
The restored gate, screen and miniature landscape were officially handed over to the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre on January 7.
The project cost a total of VND4.2 billion, of which VND3.4 billion (approximately US$146,000) was funded by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.
Besides the restoration of the original structures, the project also provided technical training for eight Vietnamese restoration workers.
The Phung Tien Hall was built in 1829 as a place to worship the emperors and empresses of the Nguyen Dynasty but was completely ruined during wartime.
The hall is located to the west of the Forbidden City in front of the Dien Tho Palace and was where court women were allowed inside to pay their tribute.
At the handover ceremony, Thua Thien-Hue Vice Chairman Nguyen Dung said he highly appreciated the German Federal Foreign Office for their contributions and German Ambassador Christian Berger for the restoration works in Hue over the past 15 years.
For his part, the German diplomat expressed his love for Hue and affirmed that Germany will continue to support Vietnam in cultural heritage preservation and to provide restoration expertise to those interested.