The only royal palace of the Nguyen Dynasty in the North
Bao Dai villa - also known as Bao Daiau - is located on Vung hill, Do Son 2 area, now in Do Son ward, Hai Phong. The project is located in a campus of over 3,700 m2, with a villa area of 1,000 m2, at an altitude of nearly 40 m above sea level.
The project was built by the Indonesian province of Pasquier in 1928 as a resort. In 1949, the entire Indochina region donated it to King Bao Dai, from which the villa was named Bao Dai Villa. King Bao Dai has used this villa since Bre bre breaking into Bread in 1944-1954 to work and relax with his family every time he goes to the North.
Bao Dai Do Son villa has 1 basement and 2 upper floors. The basement has cooking, warehouse, technical space, and family room space. The first floor has a living room, office, dining room, and bedroom of King Bao Dai and Queen Nam Phuong.
The private room of King Bao Dai with the artifacts kept intact, has a door opening to the private room of Queen Nam Phuong. Next to this room is the secretariat for King Bao Dai to work, enjoy the cool breeze, and watch the moon.
The large dining room is the place where the whole Indochina government often uses to receive guests. The area, space and items in the room have been restored to the original, with additional bar stalls to conveniently serve tourists on the resort. Here, Queen Nam Phuong held a standing feast to treat the great gods and poweres of Indochina.
The second floor of the villa is the private room of Prince Bao Long, Prince Bao Thang and 3 princesses Phuong Mai, Phuong Dung, Phuong Lien. In addition, there is a room of Nguyen De's defense. In the villa grounds, many documents and images of King Bao Dai and his family provided by Hue scholar Nguyen Dac Xuan and overseas Vietnamese in France are also solemnly displayed.
Tourist attraction for tens of thousands of visitors
According to documents, in 22, the North was liberated, Bao Dai villa was assigned to the Ministry of National Defense for management. In 1984, the Ministry of National Defense handed it over to Do Son Tourism Joint Stock Company for management. At this time, the project has deteriorated over time, so Do Son Tourism Joint Stock Company manages the restoration of the villa with a respect for its invaluable historical and architectural value. Since mid 1999, the villa has been open to visitors and overnight guests.
According to the representative of the Bao Dai Villa management unit, when it first opened, Bao Dai Villa welcomed 60,000-70,000 tourists each year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of visitors decreased significantly. To date, the project is still an attractive destination for tens of thousands of tourists when visiting Do Son.
On September 29, 2020, the People's Committee of Hai Phong City issued Decision No. 3013/QD-UBND on recognizing Bao Dai Villa, Van Huong Ward, Do Son District (now Do Son Ward, Hai Phong City) as a tourist destination. The city also assigned Do Son Tourism Joint Stock Company to organize management, exploitation, maintenance of conditions, development of tourist attractions according to regulations; protect, preserve and promote the value of tourism resources, creating favorable conditions for tourists to visit.
Some photos at Bao Dai Villa:
