Culture ministry vows to bring back original color to Hanoi opera house amid backlash

Phan Dinh Tan, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said Thursday that a new layer of paint will bring back the original look, according to news website VnExpress.

Recently, the 104-year-old Hanoi Opera House, one of the capital city’s most famous colonial buildings, has found itself at the center of controversy as experts criticized its management board for repainting it without a license.

They also said the new yellow color is much flashier than the original one.

But Tan confirmed at a meeting on Thursday that the culture ministry had approved the paint job, adding that it is part of maintenance work as some parts of the theater have been degrading.

He explained that the theater are being given several layers of paint and the yellow color visible now will soon be covered under a new layer.

Some experts, however, argued that such an explanation is not convincing because only light colors, mostly white, should be chosen as first paint layers.