Hue: Noon Gate conservation starts
A ground-breaking ceremony for the Ngo Mon (Noon Gate) Conservation Project was held in the Hue imperial citadel complex on March 21.
The first phase of the project- conducted by Vietnam’s Central Sub-Institute for Building Science and Technology at an estimated cost of US$2.1 million is scheduled for completion in December, 2015.
Visitors will still be able to explore Dai Noi (imperial citadel) via Noon Gate’s ground floor during the conservation.
Built in 1837 in the Nguyen Dynasty, the gate, with its U-shape architecture, was the main southern entry to the Hue imperial citadel where significant royal events took place.
The relic has undergone a couple of restorations, the latest of which was carried out between 1991 and 1992 with US$100,000 funded by the Japanese Government.
As an important part of the Hue complex, recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Noon Gate has both historical and cultural values for Hue city and the whole country.