US Ambassador to Vietnam Michael Michalak has announced a grant of USD74,500 to help Vietnam preserve O Quan Chuong Gate, the only ancient gate that remains in the capital city of Hanoi.
Addressing the announcement ceremony in Hanoi on June 3, Ambassador Michalak said he hoped the project, funded through the US Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, would be an important part of Hanoi’s 1,000th anniversary celebration in 2010.
“2010 will be an important year for all of us,†the Ambassador said, “Not only will it mark the 1,000th anniversary of the city of Hanoi, but it also marks the 15th anniversary of the resumption of bilateral relations between the US and Vietnam. The gate will stand as an important emblem of both occasions.â€
The grant is the largest of the awards the US Ambassador’s Fund has ever given to Vietnam.
With the grant, Vietnamese restoration experts will work for several months to repair damaged sections of O Quan Chuong Gate and strengthen its foundation. They will also repair and consolidate adjacent sewage systems to ensure a firm foundation for the gate.
Part of Hanoi’s ancient city of Thang Long, O Quan Chuong is the only one of 16 such structures built in the 1700s during the Le Dynasty that remains in existence today. The other 15 gates have been destroyed by the ravages of time, negligence, war and city reconstruction and expansion.
The US Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation was established by the US Department of State in 2001 to help less developed countries preserve cultural heritage. Since then, the fund has supported more than 500 cultural preservation projects worldwide, including nine in Vietnam, totaling more than USD16 million.