Hue gardens to get royal treatment

      A royal garden in the Forbidden Citadel of the ancient imperial city of Hue will be restored to its original glory, based on historical documents and a picture drawn in 1844.
The director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre's Science Council, Phung Phu, who approved the project last week, said archaeological relics unearthed at the royal garden will also guide the restoration process.
The Thieu Phuong Royal Garden is the first of 30 royal gardens in Hue that will be restored, Phu said.
Work on the 8,200sq.m garden began in 1828 under the reign of King Ming Mang. The royal garden had four traditional wooden houses linked by bridge paths, which formed the major structure of the royal garden into the Chinese word "wan".
The Thieu Phuong Royal Garden was listed in 10 most beautiful spots of the Forbidden Citadel by King Thieu Tri. After the fall of the Nguyen dynasty in 1945, the garden was deserted.
The restoration work will begin this October and is expected to be completed by June next year, Phu said.