Spending more than 400 million VND to renovate the degraded Ngu Phung Tower

On July 12, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center announced that it had just approved a plan to select a contractor to carry out the cleaning, preservation and repainting of degraded wooden structures at the Ngu Phung Pavilion, a contract worth VND401 million, taken from the 2025 monument entrance fee revenue left to the center. This is one of the important projects to preserve the aesthetic and architectural value of the iconic structure belonging to the Hue Monuments Complex - a UNESCO-recognized World Cultural Heritage.

The new Ngu Phung Tower (taken in May 2021). Photo: Phuc Dat

The faded Ngu Phung Tower (taken in May 2025). Photo: Phuc Dat.

According to the plan, the selection of contractors will be implemented in the third quarter of 2025 in the form of open domestic bidding via the Internet to ensure publicity and transparency.

In addition to construction costs, the Center also plans to spend about 46 million VND on related tasks such as drawing up drawings, estimating, price appraisal and construction supervision.

As Lao Dong reported, in mid-May 2025, many items of Ngu Phung Tower (Ngo Mon Gate) were seriously degraded, with black spots, discoloration, and peeling paint on the wooden pillars.

Most of the ironwood structures such as doors, ceilings, moldings, railings... down to the smallest details have faded and become patchy.

Discolored, peeling wooden items (taken in May 2025). Photo: Phuc Dat

During the restoration period from 2012 to 2019 (the most recent restoration), Ngo Mon was comprehensively renovated, including many important items such as: Restoring the foundation and Ngu Phung tower (reinforcing the foundation, cleaning the body of the platform, repairing the railings, brick floors as well as repairing the arch system below the body of the platform).

At the same time, restore the roof decoration and treat the building for preservation and termite protection; paint and gild all the wooden structures of Ngu Phung building (two main floors and Ta and Huu Duc Lau) using traditional painting techniques; interior lighting and fire protection systems using modern techniques.

At that time, the restoration of Ngo Mon was divided into two phases 2012 - 2015 and 2016 - 2019 with an investment capital of more than 80 billion VND. In which, phase 2, the project was invested with a budget of about 44 billion VND. However, after only 4 years of being put into operation, Ngu Phung tower has clearly "deteriorated".

Source: https://laodong.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/chi-hon-400-trieu-dong-de-tu-bo-lau-ngu-phung-xuong-cap-1538865.ldo