The main building of the Co Mat Vien, or the imperial Department of Confidential Affairs, where top courtiers discussed important issues during the Nguyen Dynasty’s rule.

Hue honours pottery, lacquer and phap lam

It is currently housed within Di Luan Duong, the former school where scholars were trained during the Nguyen Dynasty era which is set to be handed over to the Hue Relics Conservation Centre.

The museum and the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism initially suggested moving it to Co Mat Vien, or the Department of Confidential Affairs during imperial times.

But it was challenged by several other departments and the Relics Conservation Centre before being dismissed by Nguyen Ngoc Thien, chairman of the province People’s Committee.

As a place where top courtiers once discussed the most important issues facing the country, Co Mat Vien should be treated as a heritage site under international conventions and national laws, the centre argued.

"It is of great historical and architectural value," it said in a dispatch to the People’s Committee.

"It is inappropriate to exhibit large weaponry like tanks and machine guns in a cultural and historical ambience like that, not to mention the alterations to be made which will damage the structure."

Nguyen Dac Xuan, a noted scholar of Hue history and culture, said Co Mat Vien should be turned into an imperial museum housing court documents and re-creating court scenes.

The site had once been the residence of Prince Nguyen Phuc Dam, who later became King Minh Mang.  

VietNamNet/VNS