Hue's Vice Chairman Nguyen Thanh Binh says the destruction of the royal throne at Thai Hoa Palace is a grave cultural loss and demands serious lessons.
Following the recent act of vandalism against the royal throne of the Nguyen Dynasty at Thai Hoa Palace, Standing Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hue City, Nguyen Thanh Binh, has called the incident “regrettable and seriously damaging.”
Crowds gathered at Thai Hoa Palace after the throne was vandalized. Photo: Tran Thien
On May 26, Vice Chairman Binh, along with cultural sector leaders, inspected the protection measures in place at various relics within the Complex of Hue Monuments, following the incident where a visitor deliberately damaged the throne placed inside Thai Hoa Palace.
At the scene, Thai Hoa Palace, a major part of the Hue Imperial City, Binh listened to a report from the Center for Conservation of Hue Monuments. He emphasized that the act not only caused physical damage to a valuable historical artifact but also deeply harmed the cultural and historical integrity of the site.
“The destruction of the Nguyen Dynasty’s royal throne is a highly regrettable incident, with serious consequences. It must be taken seriously so we can draw deep and meaningful lessons,” Binh stated.
Immediately after the incident, the Hue City government reported the matter to the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Relevant agencies were ordered to review all security procedures for safeguarding relics and to assign clear responsibilities to individuals and organizations involved.
Hue Vice Chairman Nguyen Thanh Binh inspects the scene of the incident. Photo: Tran Thien
The city also directed the Hue Monuments Conservation Center to work with the Department of Culture and Sports to urgently revise and enhance security protocols, especially for relics of extraordinary historical value.
“We must strengthen technology applications, tighten security monitoring, and enhance the skills and professionalism of security personnel at heritage sites. Heritage preservation is not the sole responsibility of the cultural sector or one institution - it is a shared asset of the entire nation. Protecting these values requires joint effort and solidarity from the entire community,” Binh added.
The incident and its aftermath
Police-provided image of Ho Van Phuong Tam, the suspect in the vandalism of the Nguyen Dynasty throne. Photo provided by the police
At 11:55 AM on May 24, Ho Van Phuong Tam, 42, a resident of Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City, originally from Huong Long Ward in Phu Xuan District, Hue City, purchased a ticket to enter the Hue Imperial City for sightseeing.
Upon entering Thai Hoa Palace, Tam exhibited unusual behavior. A security guard escorted him to the rear of the palace. However, Tam later returned, snuck into the throne exhibition area, shouted incoherently, and damaged the artifact by breaking the left front armrest.
To prevent further destruction, security personnel kept their distance while encouraging Tam to exit and called for reinforcement.
By 12:10 PM, Tam was subdued and detained by security. Police from Dong Ba Ward were notified and drafted an arrest report. Hue City Police later ordered a psychiatric evaluation of the suspect and are continuing their investigation in coordination with relevant authorities.
Vietnamnet.vn
Podcast
.svg){kind=icon}
