An Dinh palace used to be the private residence of Nguyen Phuc Buu Dao (later the king Khai Dinh). It was located by the bank of An Cuu canal. This construction was renovated in modern style between 1917-1919 and officially became the residence of the crown-prince Vinh Thuy (later Bao Dai king).
After the Vietnamese liberation movement had forced his abdication in 1945, Bao Dai moved from the Imperial City to the An Dinh Palace with his mother Tu Cung, his wife and his children. Later, he settled permanently in Paris and his mother alone remained at the palace until the Southern contemporary government of Ngo Dinh Diem seized the palace after 1954. The former Queen Mother had to move and lived at the nearby smaller building until she died in 1980 without ever seeing Bao Dai again.
An Dinh palace is well-known by the beauty of sophisticated decoration at Khai Tuong pavilion. This three-storey building was constructed in European style by modern materials. Especially, the wall paintings at the first floor are seen as remarkable western style paintings survived in Vietnam from the early decades of 20th century.
Ornamental motifs in the innermost rooms are lavish and opulent yet become more dainty and floral on the periphery. After many changes of function and interior design happened during and after the war, the building was seriously damaged, especially the interior decoration was covered by many different layers of new painting.
Hue Monuments Conservation Center (HMCC) had restored the palace facade and grounds in 2002 and also supported the restoration of its interiors. The conservation and restoration of the An Dinh Palace were carried out strictly to UNESCO standards, in compliance with the internationally ratified Venice Charter.
Leave a Reply