Work is now being on track on a project featuring the restoration and embellishment of the Da Nang-located Dien Hai Citadel shortly after this venue received a certificate of recognition of a special national-level relic site from the Ministry for Culture, Sports and Tourism in March.

The entrance to the Dien Hai Citadel is viewed from inside the venue

Mr Tran The Son, the Chairman of the Thach Thang Ward People’s Committee in Hai Chau District happily said that residents living near the citadel voiced their great support for the restoration and embellishment of this special national-level relic site, which in turn allow them to enjoy more cultural spaces.

Since the start of this year, a total of 74 families living near the citadel’s western walls have moved out of the site to their new residential areas. Hence, the site clearance work, in fact, facilitate the project’s progress to be kept on schedule. In addition, the construction of a storage centre in the northern side of the citadel has also halted.

The Museum of Da Nang will be moved out of the citadel site to the current headquarters of the municipal People’s Council at 42 Bach Dang,

The 1^st stage of the restoration and embellishment project is scheduled to be completed by late October at a total cost of over 102.7 billion VND (over 4.4 million USD).

Of this, 80 billion VND (3.5 million USD) goes to cover the compensation for the displaced families, whilst the remainder is spent on restoring the damaged walls and trenches, building water supply and drainage systems, creating tree-covered areas and a parking lot, plus other auxiliary facilities.

The 2^nd stage of the project, with a focus on facilities inside the citadel, will be deployed during the 2019 - 2020 period. This stage is expected to be implemented in a much tougher manner.

In addition, once completely refurbished, this site is expected to be one of the city’s most inviting venues for both locals and visitors, especially those who show keen interest in conducting their historical and cultural research activities.

The Museum of Da Nang will be moved out of the citadel site to the current headquarters of the municipal People’s Council at 42 Bach Dang.

According to Mr Thai Ngoc Trung, the Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Construction, the National Institute of Architecture under the Ministry of Construction is making adjustments to a design for the establishment of a square with the Dien Hai Citadel being at the central position.

Covering a total of 10ha belonging to the Thanh Thang and Hai Chau 1 wards in Hai Chau District, the much-awaited square, with the citadel in its centre position, is expected to border Ly Tu Trong to the north, Quang Trung to the south, Nguyen Chi Thanh to the west, and the Han River to the east.

The city’s Construction Department will submit the overall design of the Dien Hai Citadel square to the city leaders within next month for approval. Besides, policies regarding the approval for construction and architectural projects surrounding the square site will be taken into consideration and then issued.

A Duong Bieu, a resident living near the square site in Thach Thang Ward, said he and other inhabitants are very delight at the ongoing restoration and embellishment of the citadel. He added that they are also willing to move into their new residential areas in order to give space for the deployment of the square project if it is approved.

It is hoped that the municipal government would widely publicise the planning and design of the square project as soon as possible so that the Hai Chau District authorities can adjust their urban management activities in a timely fashion.