VietNamNet Bridge - On Thursday morning, the left corner of Phu Van Lau, a well-known construction work in the Hue Royal Citadel, collapsed. Officials attribute the accident to rotting wooden columns.

Mr. Phan Thanh Hai, director of the Center for Preservation of Hue Monuments, said the incident occurred at around 5.50am. The site was immediately blocked to ensure safety and preservation work.

Hai said before 1975, Phu Van Lau was restored by the Saigon regime, using concrete frames combined with a number of wooden pillars. Since 1993, this work has been restored a few times, but only on a small scale, due to funding difficulties.

"At present, the wood columns are rotten and could not sustain the pressure of the work. We will quickly assess the situation and deal with the consequences. In the long term, we need a well-funded project to fully restore the site," Hai said.

Phu Van Lau is a building located on the main axis of the Imperial Citadel of Hue, in the south and facing the Huong River. It was built in 1819 under Emperor Gia Long and was used as a place for listing the important edicts of the king and the royal court, or the results of the examinations held by the court.

Phu Van Lau’s image is printed on the back of the VND50,000 banknote that was issued in 2003.

T. Van