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Kien Trung Palace

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The restored Kien Trung palace (2024)
Aerial view of the imperial city of Hue with the Kien trung palace in the back (1932)

Kiến Trung Palace (Vietnamese: Điện Kiến Trung; chữ Hán:建中殿) is a palace within the Imperial City of Huế, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. It was the residence of the last two emperors of the Nguyễn dynasty.[1] In 1947, the palace was destroyed by the Viet Minh during the Indochina Wars.

Reconstruction of the palace began in 2019 and was completed in 2023.[2][3] The palace opened to visitors in February 2024.[3] The palace is one of the five major structures located at the northernmost point of the central axis of the Imperial City, with the character "Kiến" signifying establishment or founding, and "Trung" implying directness and non-deviation.[4]

History

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The first structure to be built on the site of the Kiến Trung Palace was the three-story Minh Viễn Pavillion (Minh Viễn Lâu), built in 1827 for Emperor Minh Mạng and demolished in 1876.[5][6] In 1913, Emperor Duy Tân built the one-story Du Cửu Pavillion (Du Cửu Lâu), renamed by Emperor Khải Định in 1916 as the Kiến Trung Pavilion (Kiến Trung Lâu).[6]

In 1921, Emperor Khải Định demolished the pavilion to build the Italianate Kiến Trung Palace (Kiến Trung Điện).[1] Completed in 1923, the palace was used as the Emperor's official residence until his death in 1925.[1] Following his death, a papier-mache model of the palace was burned at his funeral ceremony, in the hope that his residence in the afterlife would be similar to the Kiến Trung Palace.[7]

  • Minh Viễn Pavillion, the original building on the ground of the Kiến Trung palace, painted before 1845.
    Minh Viễn Pavillion, the original building on the ground of the Kiến Trung palace, painted before 1845.
  • Emperor Khải Định and imperial aide Bửu Trác in Kiến Trung Palace, 1922.
    Emperor Khải Định and imperial aide Bửu Trác in Kiến Trung Palace, 1922.
  • The south façade of the Kiến Trung Palace in the 1920s.
    The south façade of the Kiến Trung Palace in the 1920s.
  • Bird's-eye view of the Kiến Trung Palace within the Imperial City.
    Bird's-eye view of the Kiến Trung Palace within the Imperial City.
  • The papier-mache model of the Kien Trung palace, burned during the funeral ceremony of Emperor Khải Định.
    The papier-mache model of the Kien Trung palace, burned during the funeral ceremony of Emperor Khải Định.
  • The ante-chamber of the Kiến Trung Palace in 1928.
    The ante-chamber of the Kiến Trung Palace in 1928.

Emperor Bảo Đại, together with his empress consort Nam Phương, was the last monarch to live and work in the Kiến Trung palace. Both departed from the tradition that the emperor and empress would live in separate residences. In 1932, the palace was redecorated and modernized, including the installation of modern bathroom facilities. The emperor's son, Crown Prince Bảo Long, was born at the palace at 4 January 1936.

On 25 August 1945, Emperor Bảo Đại drafted and signed his abdication at the palace.[8] He subsequently traveled to Hanoi and later went into exile in China. Empress Nam Phương and their children moved to An Định Palace before also leaving Huế.[7][9]

Between 1945 and 1947, during the anti-French resistance, the palace was largely destroyed by the Viet Minh.[1][10] Only portions of the balustrades and foundation remained.[10]

Restoration

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In the 21st century, the decision was made to reconstruct the Kiến Trung Palace, with an estimated cost of $5.3 million.[2] Construction started on 16 February 2019 and was completed by the end of 2023.[1][10] The palace opened to the public in 2024.[11]

Architecture

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Front of the restored Kiến Trung Palace as of 2024
Front of the restored Kiến Trung Palace as of 2024

Kiến Trung Palace is located at the northern end of the Forbidden Purple City, along the north–south Dung Đạo axis, behind the Càn Thành and Khôn Thái palaces.[10] It was designed in the eclectic style, combining elements of Italianite, French baroque, and ancient Vietnamese architecture.[1][10]

The palace features a long south-facing façade adorned with colorful ceramic decorations, opening onto a geometric Art Deco-style garden accessed by small stone staircases decorated with dragon and snake motifs. A balustrade with prominent French-style balusters runs the full length of the façade. The structure includes thirteen openings on both the ground and upper floors, with a central portico serving as the main entrance.[citation needed]

On either side, small projecting sections contain a large door on the ground floor and a large window above, both topped with traditional Asian gables. The central avant-corps has five openings per floor, while the recessed sections flanking it on the upper level each feature three openings. All windows are framed with ornate carved motifs. The roof, with slightly elevated edges, is finished with a parapet in the Vietnamese style.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Restoration of Nguyen Dynasty's Kien Trung Palace starts". www.vietnamplus.vn. 16 February 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b Nguyen, Quy (19 February 2019). "Last Vietnamese king's palace to be rebuilt at $5.3 mln". VN Express. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Hue city opens two royal palaces for tourists during Tet". THE VOICE OF VIETNAM. 2024-01-10. Retrieved 2025-07-08.
  4. ^ "Kien Trung Palace". khamphahue.com.vn. 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  5. ^ Kinh-sư [The Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Dai Nam: The Capital City]. Đại-Nam nhá̂t-thó̂ng-chí (in Vietnamese). Vol. 6. Translated by Nguyễn, Tạo. Hanoi, Vietnam: Department of Culture, Ministry of National Education. 1960. pp. 24–25.
  6. ^ a b Phan, Thuan An; Ton, That Binh; Le, Hoa Chi; Viet, Dung; Anh, Son; Thanh, Tung; Duy, Tu (1995). Cố đô Huế đẹp và thơ [The Beautiful and Poetic Ancient Capital of Huế] (in Vietnamese). Thuận hóa. p. 76.
  7. ^ a b Swart, Paula; Till, Barry (2015). "Between Two Worlds: Emperor Khai Dinh's Architectural Legacy". Arts of Asia. 45 (3): 117–133.
  8. ^ Bảo Đại, Con Rồng Việt Nam [Bảo Đại, Dragon of Vietnam] (in Vietnamese). Nguyễn Phước Tộc Xuất Bản. 1990. Translated from Le dragon d'Annam, Bao Dai, Plon, 1980. (in French)
  9. ^ Kemlein, Martin (2010). An Dinh Hués verborgener Schatz – Bá vât tiém ân cùa Hue – Hué's Hiddden Pearl (in German, Vietnamese, and English). Berlin: Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany. p. 72.
  10. ^ a b c d e "The restoration of Kien Trung Palace due to be completed by the end of 2023". www. baothuathienhue.vn. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  11. ^ "Two former royal palaces to open door to visitors during Lunar New Year". www.vov.vn. 6 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.

Literature

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  • Hong Lien, Vu (2015). Royal Hue Heritage of the Nguyen Dynasty of Vietnam. Bangkok: River Books. p. 272. ISBN 978-974-9863-95-4.
  • Swart, Paula; Till, Barry (2015). "Between Two Worlds: Emperor Khai Dinh's Architectural Legacy". Arts of Asia. 45 (3): 117–133.
  • Doling, Tim (2018). Exploring Huế. Hà Nội: Thế Giới Publishers. p. 524. ISBN 978-6047742233.
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