The memorial house of the last Queen Mother of the Nguyen Dynasty has been abandoned for many years.

VHO - The Hue Monuments Conservation Center plans to renovate the Tu Cung Memorial House into a heritage education destination, but it has not yet been implemented. The house, which has been abandoned for a long time, is facing the risk of deterioration.

The grounds of the Memorial House of Empress Dowager Tu Cung

The house at 145 Phan Dinh Phung (Thuan Hoa ward, Hue city) is where Tu Cung - mother of King Bao Dai and the last Queen Mother of the Nguyen Dynasty lived in her last years. The house has been abandoned for many years, so it has become shabby and at risk of deterioration.

This campus includes a 2-storey main house, an adjacent outhouse behind, a rockery, a garden... The building has an architectural style bearing the imprint of Eastern and Western cultures, built during the French period.

Memorial house of Queen Mother Tu Cung, the last Queen Mother of the Nguyen Dynasty

This is where Queen Mother Tu Cung Doan Huy Hoang - wife of King Khai Dinh and mother of King Bao Dai, lived from 1955 until her death in 1980. This building and its artifacts were then handed over to the Hue Monuments Conservation Center for management.

Initially, this house had a space to worship Lady Tu Cung. In 2014, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center and the Nguyen Phuoc Family Council agreed to move the altar and related artifacts to An Dinh Palace.

The back roof of the house has collapsed and is at risk of damage.

The house has been renovated, decorated and organized culinary experiences through a contract with a tourism unit, combined with a space to visit and learn about this project.

However, after a while, the business unit encountered difficulties, then the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, and all activities stopped. The memorial house of Tu Cung was also "closed", not exploited and its value was not promoted, so over the years it has deteriorated.

After a long period of abandonment, weeds grew wildly in the grounds of the Memorial House of Empress Dowager Cixi.

At the back of the main house, the tiled roof system was partially damaged, some tiles had fallen down, in the long run there was a risk of affecting the structure during storms. Along with that, the long period of not being opened caused grass and bushes to grow untidy.

According to Mr. Hoang Viet Trung - Director of Hue Monuments Conservation Center, the center has developed a plan to renovate and exploit appropriate services to promote the Tu Cung Memorial House, with the orientation to turn this place into a heritage education address.

The memorial house of Empress Dowager Cixi has been "closed" for many years.

Recently, some consulting units have come to survey and learn but have not yet decided on a plan due to some problems and difficulties.

“In response to the Green Sunday movement, the Center has organized cleaning activities at historical sites in the area, including the Tu Cung Memorial House. We are still calling for cooperation to implement a plan to exploit services combined with heritage education here" - Mr. Hoang Viet Trung said.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/nha-luu-niem-hoang-thai-hau-cuoi-cung-cua-trieu-nguyen-de-hoang-nhieu-nam-155428.html