Iconic headwear: A woman demonstrates traditional way to make a bamboo conical hat. — Photo dantri.vn

HUE (VNS) — The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre has opened a new culture centre for tourists at a historic site that had been an office during the Hue royal dynasty.

The site is located at 79 Nguyen Chi Dieu Street, Hue City.

The complex had once housed offices of six governing agencies of the Nguyen dynasty, similar to the present ministries of home affairs, education, culture, defence, transportation and law.

Also at the location, a school was built in 1879 by King Tu Duc (1829-83), and was called Chanh Mong Duong, for his adopted son Dong Khanh's (1864-89).

In 1881, King Tu Duc built another school building in the complex called Duc Duc Duong for another adopted son, Duc Duc (1853-83).

King Thanh Thai (1879-1954) later changed the name of the complex to Ton Hoc. At that time the area was used as an office for mandarins in charge of education and training.

In 1968, the complex was used as the office for the local department of War Invalids and Social Affaires. Over the years, many structures within the complex had fallen into disrepair and were repeatedly renovated. In 2005, the complex was handed over to the Hue Monuments Conservations Centre.

Earlier this year, the complex was again renovated and is now a cultural centre for local residents and tourists.

Among the new activities to take place at the complex, the centre will host tea processing ceremonies using traditional ingredients, as prescribed by the Nguyen dynasty's doctors, as well as offer delicacies from the dynasty, such as royal wine and royal medicines.

Handicraft demonstrations will also be held to display bamboo conical hats, Hue rice cakes, bamboo wares, paper flowers, lotus-scented tea, and pet birds. — VNS