On January 25, in an exchange with a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Hoang Viet Trung - Director of the Hue Ancient Capital Relic Preservation Center - said that the unit is directing professional departments and agencies to conduct a field survey to comprehensively and thoroughly inspect and evaluate the walls at Kham Thien Giam relic, to determine if any more ancient maps have been disclosed, as a basis for inclusion in the preservation and restoration dossier.
According to Mr. Trung, information about the discovery of another map at the Kham Thien Giam wall has only been quickly reported by subordinates. Up to this point, the center's leaders have not directly checked the records to clearly determine whether this map was in the list of previously prepared records or was newly discovered later.
If more ancient maps are actually revealed, this is a welcome sign, because it will add valuable materials to serve the research, preservation and restoration of relics. In the coming time, we will organize a thorough review of the walls that have been painted by people, in order to check if any ancient drawings are likely to be revealed," Mr. Trung emphasized.
Also according to Mr. Hoang Viet Trung, the scientific dossier of Kham Thien Giam relic has been submitted to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to propose ranking it as a national relic. This is an important basis for relevant units to develop plans for conservation, repair and restoration of the relic in the coming time.
The preparation of dossiers and proposals for ranking Kham Thien Giam relic aims to serve the conservation and promotion of the value of Nguyen Dynasty heritage, and at the same time contribute to the landscape embellishment of the Luc Bo area, next to Hue Imperial Citadel.
Previously, records of Lao Dong Newspaper reporters on January 23 showed that during the cleaning and peeling of the paint on the wall of Kham Thien Giam, a painting with a map-like shape appeared. The painting was drawn in black strokes, showing many symbols and lines with three character systems: Han script, Vietnamese script and French script, in which Han script accounted for a large number.
Kham Thien Giam of the Nguyen Dynasty was a place where officials gathered to perform astronomical observations, measure meteorological and hydrological measurements, weather forecasts, and set lunar and solar calendars issued for the whole country; at the same time, they managed astronomical records, selected good days and hours to serve the activities of the court, agriculture and folk rituals.
Established in 1803, under King Gia Long, Kham Thien Giam is currently located on Han Thuyen street, Phu Xuan ward, Hue city. However, over time and historical changes, the building has deteriorated, and many items no longer retain their original state.
In the past, the project was once modified by people, used as a place to live. Spontaneous renovations such as space separation, installation of toilets, and wall painting have deformed the relic structure.
