Thirty-eight houses built near Da Nang’s Dien Hai Citadel’s western walls will be removed, while planned projects on the northern side of the citadel will be revoked.  The relocation is part of the city’s projects for preserving and promoting the value of local cultural heritage over the 2016 – 2020 period.

The entrance to the museum (Photo: VNA)

The Director of the city’s Culture and Sports Department, Mr Huynh Hung, said that over 100,000 households have been removed from the surrounding area of the citadel over past 2 decades, and only the last 54 households within the protected belt of the citadel have yet been resettled to other places.

Due to its cultural and historical value, the citadel was recognised as a national historical relic on 16 November 1988 by the Ministry of Culture and Information.

The Department also urged the municipal government to resettle the Da Nang Museum which is located in the citadel.

Situated on the western side of the Han River, the Dien Hai Citadel was originally called Dien Hai Fortress.  It was originally built near Da Nang’s estuary in 1813 under the reign of Emperor Gia Long.

The municipal government recently proposed that 11 cannons which were previously stored in the citadel should be recognised as national treasures.  The cannons are now on display at the Museum of Da Nang.

The 11 cannons on display at the museum were cast in iron during the feudal Nguyen Dynasty between 1802 and 1860.  These weapons were all found in the city between 1979 and 2008.  The cannons at the citadel, along with other local coastal military ramparts at that time, played a vital role in defeating the attacks by the French invaders in the 1858 - 1860 period.

Da Nang now has 50 historical sites and 18 national historical monuments included in the city’s restoration project for 2016 – 2020 period.

(Source: VNA / Da Nang Today)