The Prime Minister has recently approved a project to restore a part of the Kinh Thien Palace – Doan Mon (The Southern Gate) site in the middle of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi.

The Thang Long Imperial Citadel

Accordingly, the two-storey building of the Department of Operations, a French-built building during wartime will be moved to a new location for the restoration of Kinh Thien Palace.

The project aims to partly recreate the royal space in front of Kinh Thien Palace for big cultural and political events.

The project will be implemented from now to 2017 with a total investment of nearly VND15 billion (over US$670,000), sourced from the city’s budget.

The Prime Minister asked the Hanoi municipal People's Committee to work closely with the Thang Long-Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre and other relevant agencies to ensure the progress of the project in accordance with the Public Investment Law, the Cultural Heritage Law, the Construction Law and other relevant laws.

The Thang Long Imperial Citadel was built in the 11th century by the Ly Dynasty, marking the independence of the Dai Viet.

It is characterised by it’s longevity and continuity as a seat of power, evidenced by different archaeological levels and monuments.

As the most important and best-preserved part of the ancient imperial citadel, the central sector was listed in UNESCO's World Heritage Site on July 31, 2010.