Regarding a "strange project" - a house illegally built in front of Empress Dowager Tu Du's tomb in the premises of King Thieu Tri's tomb that Lao Dong Newspaper has just had a series of articles reflecting, Hue City People's Committee has just sent document No. 467 to the Department of Culture and Sports and the Hue Ancient Capital Relic Preservation Center.
According to the document, the Chairman of Hue City People's Committee requested the Hue Ancient Capital Relic Preservation Center to seriously draw experience for the deployment and installation of works in the Thieu Tri King's Tomb relic area.
Regarding the stilt house built on the foundation of the foundation in front of the mausoleum of Empress Dowager Tu Du, the Chairman of Thua Thien Hue Provincial People's Committee agreed to temporarily maintain the original state to serve people and tourists worshiping during the Binh Ngo Lunar New Year according to the proposal of the Department of Culture and Sports, Hue Ancient Capital Relic Preservation Center.
At the same time, requesting the Hue Ancient Capital Relic Preservation Center to dismantle the project, restore the ground to its original state, and ensure the original state of the relic immediately after the 15th day of the first lunar month of Binh Ngo year (ie after March 3, 2026).
Although it was not until after the Lunar New Year of Binh Ngo that the illegal communal house built in front of Empress Dowager Tu Du's tomb and in the premises of King Thieu Tri's tomb was dismantled to restore the original state to the relic, with a reason that was not very convincing: "serving people and tourists to worship during the Lunar New Year of Binh Ngo".
However, this decision shows the listening to public opinion and the rule of law in cultural heritage management of the local government, which is very commendable.
And this case also shows that the management and restoration of heritage in Hue - especially the tasks related to funding from organizations and individuals at home and abroad, through the Hue Heritage Conservation Fund - are revealing many shortcomings, inadequacies and even "arbitraryness" in the thinking and actions of management agencies.
These issues have and are seriously affecting the trust of the people and philanthropists in the cause of protecting, restoring, and embellishing the cultural heritage in Hue - which has achieved many successes and achievements that can be said to be brilliant in recent decades.
Even UNESCO once considered Hue a successful example when transitioning from the emergency relief phase to stable and sustainable development, with many works being professionally restored, complying with international standards, becoming a lesson learned for other heritages in Vietnam and the world.
Handling this case is therefore a test of heritage management in a new context, in the context that Hue is aiming to become a heritage city after becoming a centrally-run city with a unique cultural identity.
From a "strange project" in the tomb area of Empress Dowager Tu Du, Hue has another valuable lesson, that managing, protecting, restoring and promoting the values of cultural heritage - especially world cultural heritage, always needs a sufficiently disciplined management system, knowing how to uphold the law, not acting arbitrarily in all circumstances and reasons.
