THUA THIEN-HUE (VNS)— The famous royal garden in the former imperial city of Hue will be brought back to its original design in a restoration project to be completed next month.

Conducted by the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre (HMCC), the project aims add the spot to the list of city attractions, especially for the Hue Festival next month.

The garden, Co Ha, was among five royal gardens in the Hue Imperial Palace. At the beginning of the 19th century, the 1.5ha area used to be an outdoor playground for princes.

In 1837, King Minh Mang of the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945) decided to convert it into a royal garden. It became even more beautiful and famous during the reign of King Thieu Tri (1841-47), who built many pavilions, built, as well as a long corridor running through highlighted spots.

The garden was an inspiration for King Tri to compose poems.

Phan Thanh Hai, director of the HMCC, said that, coincidentally, many birds had settled on Doanh Chau Island, near the garden site.

The restoration project will set up three garden houses, based on the original design, taken from old documents. Hundreds of bonsai will be planted, a replica of Kim Nghe bridge erected and lakes, ponds and canals dredged for the addition of water lily and ornamental fish.-VNS