THUA THIEN-HUE (VNS) –The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre opened the Ta Tung Tu relic (Left Temple) after a year of restoration work, said Phan Thanh Hai, the centre's director.

The project cost VND7.2 billion (roughly US$345,600), of which nearly $46,000 came from the World Monuments Fund and the rest was provided by the centre.

Ta Tung Tu is a place of worship dedicated to high-ranking mandarins under the reign of King Minh Mang of the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945), the last in Viet Nam.

The temple is located in King Minh Mang's tomb complex on Cam Khe mountain, 14km from Hue city centre. Built in September 1840, the monument was severely damaged due to natural erosion and the wars.

Covering over 100sq.m. the temple is an integral part of the well-matched architecture and solemnity of the complex.. - VNS