In recent days, 31 bunkers and combat structures built during the war in the Thuong Thanh area and inside Hue Citadel are being dismantled by the Hue City Military Command.
This is to gradually remove items that are no longer suitable, and restore space and landscape to the relic complex.
The Military Command (CHQS) of Hue City said that this bunker system was built by the US military in the period from 1957 to 1975. The works mainly serve defensive purposes, designed with bay holes, weapon placement positions, protective lids and soldier rest areas.
After many years of existence, these military structures are no longer of use in national defense tasks, and are interspersed in the space of the Nguyen Dynasty relic. The dismantling was implemented by the Hue City government to restore the landscape and limit modern structures that affect the overall architecture of the Citadel.
About 50 officers and soldiers of the engineering force were mobilized to perform the task. Because the bunkers are located in many different locations, the construction plan is calculated separately for each area.
For works located underground or in locations where motorized vehicles can access, soldiers used drills and bulldozers to dismantle the concrete. For bunkers located on Thuong Thanh, where large machinery could not be brought up, the engineering force had to use hand drills and bulldozers to handle each part.
According to the Hue City Military Command, the construction process was carried out cautiously to avoid impacting the structure and brick layer of the ancient citadel. This is a particularly important requirement because the bunkers are built interspersed in an architectural system with hundreds of years of historical value.
Thuong Thanh is a strip of land surrounding Hue Citadel, built from the time of King Gia Long and continued to be completed under the reign of King Minh Mang. On the citadel line, there is a system of fortresses, observatories and defensive works arranged according to the planning of the Nguyen Dynasty capital.
According to reporters' records on August 20, after the bunkers in the Huu Gate area, near Chanh Tay Gate, Quan Tuong Dai and behind the Duoc Kho, the appearance of the area has changed significantly. Concrete blocks that were originally located interspersed in the space of the ancient citadel were removed, replaced by a wider and more airy space.
At some locations, after the concrete part is removed, the foundation and surrounding space are cleaned up, helping the sections of the citadel walls and ancient architectural structures to be more clearly visible. From above the Upper Citadel, the view of the inner area of the Imperial City also becomes clear, no longer obscured by old military structures as before.
The dismantling is not only to handle works that have run out of function but also contributes to restoring the continuity of the relic space. The remaining spaces are returned to help the citadel system, the longhouse and works belonging to Hue Citadel have a landscape connection.
According to the plan, the dismantling of 31 bunkers will be carried out until the end of September. After completion, the areas will be cleared, the remaining materials will be treated and the ground will be returned, aiming to restore a more suitable appearance to the space of Hue Citadel.
