An entrance to the ruined Dien Hai Citadel in Da Nang city (Photo: VNA)Da Nang (VNA) - A fund of 84 billion VND (3.6million USD) has been reserved for the conservation of the ruined Dien HaiCitadel in the central city of Da Nang in 2020.
The city’s Culture and Sports department said the fund willbe used to restore the original gates in the west and east, the flag platformand 11 cannons, among other items.
An underground exhibition room will be built covering453sq.m, displaying exhibits and artefacts related to the old citadel.
The Dien Hai citadel, which was first constructed as amilitary outpost in the 12th year of King Gia Long’s reign (1813), was firstrestored in 2018 – one year after it was recognised as a National Special Relic.
An excavation has unearthed a section of the foundations andwalls of a trench southwest of the ruined Dien Hai Citadel in the city’sdowntown district following a restoration project that began last month.
Director of Da Nang Museum Huynh Dinh Quoc Thien said thefirst excavation in 2018 exposed a 126m wall on the west of the citadel, whichwas built using brick and mortar.
Meanwhile, a section of foundations was also found next tothe citadel wall on the west side. This foundation was built from laterite andpebble.
According to the national heritage council, the ruins of thecitadel may be the last monument in Da Nang that symbolises the sacrifice oflocal people and soldiers in the fight against French-Spanish colonial forcesin 1858-60.
The statue of Nguyen Tri Phương (1800-73), a famous generalwho commanded the Vietnamese army to fight the French-Spanish colonial forces(1858-60), will be restored.
The citadel, which was used as the site of the city’s museumon Tran Phu Street, was first built as a military outpost, near the mouth ofthe Han River, to control access to Da Nang Port and serve as an importantdefensive position.
Da Nang will dismantle and move the modern museum to anothersite so the citadel can be fully restored.
A collection of 11 iron cannons cast during the NguyenDynasty between 1802 and 1860 and unearthed at the Dien Hai Citadel between1979 and 2008, are planned for recognition as a national treasure, according tothe department./.
VNA
