A long-term conservation plan needed for the Imperial Citadel

VGP – It is necessary to adopt a master planning scheme for the long-term conservation of the historical site of the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel at No. 18 Hoàng Diệu Street, said Mr. Nguyễn Văn Sơn, Director of the Conservation Center for Cổ Loa and the Hà Nội Ancient Citadel.

An excavation site of the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel at No. 18 Hoàng Diệu Street, Hà Nội

According to Mr. Sơn, vestiges and artifacts of the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel are suffering negative weather impacts. Lying in the earth at the depths of 2–4m for thousands of years, they are now exposed to tropical climate with high humidity and heavy rains.

The Director said that it is an urgent necessity to adopt a master planning scheme for long-term preservation of the citadel.

So far, a number of seminars have been organized to discuss methods of preserving outdoor vestiges and unearthed artifacts to serve scientific research and tourist purposes.

Some architectural items, such as Kính Thiên Palace and Long Trì Royal Courtyard, will be rebuilt on the basis of scientific data, revealed Mr. Sơn.

He added that some open storages should be built to preserve artifacts while show-casing them to the public.

The Conservation Center for Cổ Loa and the Hà Nội Ancient Citadel and the Institution of Archaeology will jointly display some artifacts during the millennial anniversary of Thăng Long-Hà Nội, said Mr. Sơn.