Hue strengthens heritage protection after throne vandalism

On May 24, at Thai Hoa Palace in the center of Hue Imperial City, a rare incident occurred when a man with unusual signs crossed the boundary fence and sat on the Nguyen Dynasty throne - a national treasure. placed in the most solemn space of the Royal Palace.

This behavior caused a wave of outrage on social networks, and raised many questions about the work of protecting relics and the response of the security force.

Finding technological solutions after the rare incident

According to Mr. Hoang Viet Trung - Director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center, this is a rare and unfortunate incident, leaving many profound lessons on the organization of protection and display of relics of special value.

Thai Hoa Palace - the central attraction of Hue Imperial City, where the Nguyen Dynasty throne was located - a national treasure.

Mr. Trung said that when the incident occurred, the security force responded appropriately to the situation, especially when the subject showed abnormal behavior and held a weapon. Immediate strong intervention could endanger other artifacts as well as the lives of tourists.

The center currently has about 140 security guards deployed in many areas, including the locations of national treasures such as Thai Hoa Palace, where the force is directly in charge. Mr. Trung informed that the unit is currently considering adjusting personnel plans, increasing training and situational drills to improve security effectiveness after the incident at Thai Hoa Palace.

One of the proposed technological solutions is to deploy a "virtual fence" system, sensor devices, using AI to set up restricted access zones, and promptly warn when someone crosses the limit.

The unit is also proposing to re-equip some necessary support tools for the security force and has established a specialized council to assess, handle and restore the damaged throne.

Nguyen Dynasty throne - national treasure before the time of the abuse.

Next to the throne area there are other valuable artifacts.

Regarding the proposals to place the throne in a glass cabinet or erect high fences to ensure the safety of the treasures, Mr. Trung said that these options could destroy the aesthetic value and originality of the relic as well as reduce the experience of visitors. According to him, there needs to be comprehensive and synchronous protection solutions, based on regulations, human resources, technology and support measures .

Reinforcing safety for heritage sites

Regarding the incident, the Department of Culture and Sports of Hue City in a report sent to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the People's Committee of Hue City said that in the coming time, it will continue to coordinate with the Hue Monuments Conservation Center to develop a master plan to reinforce the safety of the heritage site, with measures to strengthen security equipment, add personnel, and provide professional training for the relic protection force.

Mr. Hoang Viet Trung shared about protection work and solutions to improve the effectiveness of heritage protection.

At the same time, a professional council will be established to evaluate and repair damaged artifacts, and submit to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism a suitable preservation plan. The entire system of displaying artifacts at relics, especially at places with national treasures, will be reviewed to propose more effective protection plans.

Immediately after the incident, the Nguyen Dynasty throne was moved to the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum for safekeeping. A replica of the throne was displayed at Thai Hoa Palace to maintain space for visitors.

Call for joint efforts to protect heritage

Hue City leaders also directly inspected the work of protecting relics. and artifacts at the Complex of Hue Monuments, especially Thai Hoa Palace, where the serious incident occurred. Inspecting Thai Hoa Palace, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh - Permanent Vice Chairman of Hue City People's Committee - assessed that this was an unfortunate incident, causing deep damage to the cultural and historical values of the Nguyen Dynasty symbol and Hue heritage.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh - Vice Chairman of Hue City People's Committee - inspected the work of protecting relics and artifacts at Thai Hoa Palace.

Mr. Binh said that immediately after the incident, the People's Committee of Hue City reported to the Government and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and requested relevant agencies and units to propose specific solutions to improve the preservation of precious artifacts and national treasures. At the same time, a comprehensive assessment of the incident was organized, the responsibilities of individuals and related organizations were reviewed, and lessons were learned to avoid repeating similar incidents.

The Vice Chairman of Hue City People's Committee especially emphasized the need to strengthen professional training for relic protection forces, especially in locations with artifacts of special value such as thrones.

The throne, the canopy above and the Thai Hoa Palace area are a comprehensive heritage architectural space, harmoniously connected, inseparable by high fences or glass cabinets.

A replica of the Nguyen Dynasty throne was placed in place of the damaged national treasure that had to be moved for repair and restoration.

Besides technical solutions, propaganda work to raise public awareness also needs to be focused on.

Mr. Binh called for the joint efforts of the people and tourists to protect the heritage, considering this the responsibility of the whole society. “Hue City is currently a locality that preserves many precious heritages. of the nation. Heritage protection cannot be assigned to just one unit, but requires the participation and consensus of the whole community," Mr. Binh noted.

Source: http://tienphong.vn/hue-tang-cuong-bao-ve-di-san-sau-vu-ngai-vua-bi-pha-hoai-post1746067.tpo