Hue has issuing strict regulations on what to wear when visiting its monuments in an attempt to ensure solemnity of the key buildings that once belonged to the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945).

Wearing shorts is prohibited at solemn places inside Hue monuments since the first of July.

Hue Monuments Conservation Centre, a body of local authorities that manages monuments related to the dynasty around the former imperial capital city, regulated that visitors will have to wear decent clothing when they visiting solemn monuments from the first day of July.

In particular, shorts, revealing skirts and singlets are prohibited in solemn areas, including palaces in which kings once banned the entry of women and temples where the kings and their ancestors are worshipped.

The centre provides a clothes renting service for those visitors wearing prohibited clothing but wish to enter the solemn places, which are marked by signposts depicting the banned clothing.

According to the centre’s director Phan Thanh Hai, the centre had informed travel agencies nationwide on the clothing ban, so that agencies were ready ahead of the date from when the ban took effect.

Banning indecent clothing at solemn places of the dynasty is aimed at reducing charges of desecration. 

Nguyen Phuoc Vinh Khanh, a member of the Nguyen family committee that comprises descendants of the Nguyen Dynasty, said the ban should have been imposed a long time ago as a mark of respect for his ancestors. 

VNS