The last Nguyen dynasty empress dowager's memorial house deteriorates

Empress dowager Tu Cung’s two-story memorial house, the last of the Nguyen dynasty, is increasingly dilapidated despite changes in management.

The two-story house at 145 Phan Dinh Phung, Thuan Hoa Ward, once the residence where Empress Dowager Doan Huy, mother of Emperor Bao Dai, spent her old age, is now deserted after years of disuse. The house is situated within a compound covering nearly 1,000 square meters, where Empress Dowager Tu Cung lived from 1955 after leaving An Dinh Palace.

Previously, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center managed and operated some services at the house, but this proved ineffective. The unit had planned to transform the memorial house into a heritage education center, offering lessons in imperial court music and dance.

In late 2025, the memorial house of Empress Dowager Tu Cung was transferred to the Department of Culture and Sports for management and operation. This department then assigned it to the Hue Museum of Fine Arts. However, since its takeover by the new entity, the building remains abandoned and locked.

Before her passing in 1980, Empress Dowager Tu Cung expressed a wish to entrust the entire house to heritage management agencies for preservation, ensuring it would serve as a memorial linked to the life of the last empress dowager. The second floor of the house still holds an altar dedicated to Empress Dowager Doan Huy, along with two of her portraits.

From the entrance, tall weeds cover many areas of the yard, interspersed with overgrown bushes. Flower beds and miniature landscapes are choked with weeds; many features are no longer regularly trimmed or maintained. The fish pond in the compound is dry, and the rockery and surrounding miniature landscapes have peeled and faded.

The Hue Museum of Fine Arts has utilized some rooms in the memorial house as storage for previously exhibited artworks.

After years of neglect, the tile roof system and walls suffer from leaks and mold. The rooms on the second floor were empty when the Hue Museum of Fine Arts took over. The building's roof tiles and doors are damaged.

The blue-painted wooden ceiling system is rotting, posing a risk of collapse.

Nguyen Thien Binh, Deputy Director of the Hue Department of Culture and Sports, stated that the unit is currently preparing procedures to request repairs for the building. The aim is to use it for displaying artworks and as a performance space for Hue-related cultural events.

Surrounding the house, the decorative lantern system has faded after years of exposure to rain and sun. Some lanterns are torn, hanging precariously from the house's balcony.

Within Empress Dowager Tu Cung's memorial house compound, two grade four houses belonging to two households still exist. Before commencing the house renovation project, Hue City authorities plan to relocate these two households.