VHO - The space of the Nguyen Dynasty Imperial Observatory at 82 Han Thuyen, Dong Ba Ward (Phu Xuan District, Hue City) is becoming shabby and desolate. The main structure of the relic has seriously degraded and is in a state of... waiting to collapse.
Over time, due to the impact of nature and many other causes, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory (Luc Bo area) has seriously degraded, become shabby and desolate. The main structure of the observatory, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, could collapse at any time.
The tiled roof system has collapsed, many places have fallen and broken; the wooden structures are almost no longer able to bear the load; the walls are damp and covered with moss... Especially, when approaching the inside of the main building, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, we see even more the level of desolation and ruin of this relic.
The Imperial Astronomical Observatory of the Nguyen Dynasty was an agency responsible for astronomical observation, weather forecasting, calendar making and feng shui consulting for the royal court, established in 1803 under the reign of Gia Long.
During the Minh Mang period, the Imperial Astronomical Institute operated more systematically, and the court ordered the construction of the Quan Tuong Dai project to observe astronomy, meteorology, and weather. The Quan Tuong Dai was located on Nam Minh fortress, southwest of Hue Citadel, and was directly managed by the Imperial Astronomical Institute.
In 1918, King Khai Dinh moved the Imperial Observatory to its current location, and it has been there for more than 100 years. After a long period of deterioration and damage, the Quan Tuong Dai was restored in 2012-2013, but the Imperial Observatory remains are still waiting.
It is known that since the 1960s, some households have moved into the Imperial Astronomical Observatory to live, and the population has gradually increased. The construction items have been requisitioned, deformed and damaged over time.
In the following years, many new housing projects were also built in the relic area and protected area. Implementing the project "Relocation of residents, site clearance of area 1 of Hue Citadel relic" in phase II, Thua Thien Hue province (now Hue city) approved the site clearance at Kham Thien Giam relic with more than 15,100m2 and the relocation of about 50 households (both main and secondary households).
This is a major policy, implemented synchronously with more than 4,000 households in Area I of Hue Citadel being relocated and resettled, with a better living environment. At the same time, it is also the basis for implementing the work of preserving, restoring and promoting the value of relics in the Hue Citadel area.
According to the reporter's records, up to now, many households in the Kham Thien Giam relic site have relocated to new residences according to the project's policy, however, some households still live here.
Many families after relocation, the land has not been cleaned, becoming a "gathering" point for waste, so the space becomes messy, especially in the rainy season. A representative of the Phu Xuan District Land Fund Development Center said that in the Kham Thien Giam area, there are 20 main households receiving support policies and relocation according to the project, so far 7 households have moved and handed over the land.
Among the remaining 13 main households, some are still building houses in the resettlement area and have not yet finished moving; some households are still stuck due to policy requirements for secondary households. Particularly at the main project of Kham Thien Giam, there used to be two households residing, currently one household has handed over the site for resettlement according to the project.
Recently, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center has coordinated with relevant units to build a relic dossier for the Imperial Observatory. The dossier has been approved by the City Council and is being submitted to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to recognize the Imperial Observatory of the Nguyen Dynasty as a national relic.
Mr. Le Cong Son, Deputy Director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center, said that the preparation of a dossier to propose recognizing Kham Thien Giam as a national monument is the basis for preserving and restoring this monument.
The Project Management Board has surveyed and developed a plan for restoration and rehabilitation and coordinated with the consulting unit to complete detailed documents and project proposals in the medium-term plan 2026-2030. If recognized as a relic, the Center will prepare a project to submit to Hue City for consideration and approval for implementation.
Recently, the Center has also implemented solutions to reinforce, cover, and temporarily support the Kham Thien Giam relic while waiting for the restoration project to be implemented; at the same time, placed signs prohibiting people from entering the main construction area of the relic to ensure safety.
According to researcher Nguyen Xuan Hoa, planning to renovate and restore the Kham Thien Giam relic is urgent to "save" the main structure that is deteriorating. Although the structure has been damaged, deformed, and ruined, the vestiges inside the structure still remain, such as the altar, and drawings of constellations still remaining on the walls...
In addition to documents from the Nguyen Dynasty's royal records, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center also has access to French documents and books on the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, so there are many bases for preserving and restoring this relic. Moving forward, organizing an exhibition about a scientific institution during the monarchy; at the same time, there are plans to promote the value of the relic appropriately.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/di-tich-kham-thien-giam-dang-cho-sap-124366.html
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