The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre launched a project worth more than VND 40 billion (USD 1.5 million) in late 2024 to restore the Nam Giao Esplanade, part of the UNESCO-listed Complex of Hue Monuments.
Phung Van Hoang, director of the Hue Monuments Project Management Board, said restoration work at the site was expected to be completed by late October or early November 2026, about seven months ahead of schedule.
Built in 1806 under Emperor Gia Long south of the Hue Imperial Citadel, the Nam Giao Esplanade was where Nguyen Dynasty emperors performed annual rituals to worship Heaven. It is Vietnam's only surviving relatively intact imperial altar dedicated to these ceremonies.
Meanwhile, restoration work is being accelerated at two major sites within the Hue Imperial City, Can Chanh Palace and Thai Mieu Temple, with both projects expected to finish ahead of schedule.
Can Chanh Palace, built in 1804 under Emperor Gia Long, hosted royal court meetings, diplomatic receptions and banquets. Destroyed in 1947, only its foundations remain.
The VND 200 billion restoration project, running from 2025 to 2029, will reconstruct the palace complex, including a main hall and adjoining structures covering more than 1,400 square metres.
The project is now expected to be completed in November 2027, instead of April 2029 as originally planned.
The first phase of the Thai Mieu Temple restoration project, launched in October 2024 with an investment of VND 52 billion, includes restoring gates, walls, foundations and other architectural features.
According to the Hue Monuments Project Management Board, work on these structures is expected to be completed by late December 2026, about 20 months ahead of schedule.
Restoration of the temple's main building is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027, with investment exceeding VND 220 billion and completion planned by 2031.
Built in 1804 under Emperor Gia Long in the southeastern corner of the Hue Imperial City, Thai Mieu Temple hosted important royal ceremonies. The main structure was destroyed in 1947, leaving only parts of its foundations and auxiliary buildings.
Hue has invested nearly VND 4.8 trillion in restoring and preserving more than 200 heritage structures, most of them within the Complex of Hue Monuments.
Between 2026 and 2030, the city plans to carry out 27 further heritage restoration and conservation projects, with total investment estimated at more than VND 1.59 trillion.
