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Kính Thiên Palace restoration in Hanoi

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2026-10-04 02:01 UTC → 2026-10-06 17:52 UTC · added ~~removed~~

A restoration project for Kính Thiên Palace at the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi has officially commenced. Following 15 years of interdisciplinary research and archaeological excavations conducted in 2025 and 2026, a groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 29, attended by President Tô Lâm and representatives from UNESCO and ICOMOS. The project, with Sun Group serving as the construction unit, aims to recover the central axis of the Imperial Citadel by 2029. This initiative has received unprecedented support from the World Heritage Committee, which approved the restoration in an action marking the first time in nearly 55 years of the World Heritage Convention that the Committee has agreed to change the status of a site within a core heritage zone. The decision follows Vietnam’s adherence to international recommendations and its long-term commitments to the site since its inscription in 2010. To commemorate this milestone, an exhibition has opened at the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel. The exhibition showcases archaeological remains, scientific research findings, and a reconstruction model of the palace, utilizing technology to offer visitors interactive experiences of the historical site. Originally the main palace of the Thăng Long Forbidden City during the Lê Dynasty, the structure was largely destroyed in the late 19th century. The restoration aims to reconstruct the site based on scientific evidence and archaeological remains, such as the palace foundation and stone steps, rather than speculation. The project seeks to balance historical memory with scientific accuracy to ensure the restoration does not become an ‘imaginary version of the past’.

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