HCM CITY — Thừa Thiên-Huế Province’s authorities have begun an ambitious project to rebuild a destroyed palace inside the Imperial Citadel in Huế City.

Kiến Trung Palace, which was built between 1921 and 1923 during the reign of Emperor Khải Định, once served as the living and working space of Bảo Đại, the last king of the Nguyễn Dynasty, which ruled the country from 1802 until the end of the feudal era in 1945.

It incorporated elements from three distinct architectural styles, traditional Vietnamese, French and Italian Renaissance, to embody an era of western influence in Việt Nam.

However, it was destroyed in the late 1940s during the first Indochina War (1946-1954), with only its foundation remaining intact.

According to the Huế Monuments Conservation Centre, the work is expected to cost VND123 billion ($5.3 million) and be finished in 2022.

The reconstruction reflects local authorities’ continued efforts to conserve the Imperial Citadel, a popular tourist attraction in central Việt Nam, as part of an effort to boost tourism.

Thừa Thiên- Huế Province received more than 4.3 million visitors last year, including 2.2 million foreigners, up by 14 percent over the same period in 2017. — VNS