Central Province Plans US$1,26Mln for Preservation of 150 Garden Houses

Central Thua Thien – Hue province has approved a project to invest VND20 billion (US$1.26 million) in preserving 150 typical garden houses, its one of most famous tourism products, in 2006-2010 period.

 

The move is also part of activities to prepare for the upcoming Hue Festival 2006 that is scheduled to take place from June 3-11.

 

Accordingly, as many as 30 garden houses will be restored each year.

 

After surveying more than 7,000 garden houses, Hue has still got only 839 garden houses of high value that need protecting, including 30 first-category houses, 678 second-category houses and 131 third-category houses.

 

In the first quarter of 2006, the province welcomed more than 254,400 visitors, a year-on-year increase of 23.2 per cent, of which 113,540 were foreigners, up 13.3 per cent.

 

Foreign arrivals in the province have increased year after year since 1993 when the province's capital city, Hue, was recognized as a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO.

 

Hue, located some 600 km south of Hanoi and capital of the last Vietnamese feudal regime, derives from the quiet Song Huong (Perfume River) weaving its course between rolling hills housing the temples and tombs of the Nguyen Kings.

 

Hue is one of the three biggest tourist centers in Vietnam. Its attraction lies first of all in the many temples, palaces and mausoleums of the Nguyen Dynasty built between 1805 and 1832. The old citadel measures 11 kilometers in circumference with a 21-meter thick wall and a flagpole standing 54.4 meters high.

Liberated Saigon