Queen Mother’s house to attract tourists

The House at 145 Phan Đình Phùng Street was the former residence of Queen Mother Từ Cung. She was the wife of Khải Định, the 12^th Nguyễn Dynasty king.

Từ Cung bought the house in 1955 after the government of Ngô Đình Diệm seized An Định Palace and lived here until she died in 1980.

Nguyen Dac Xuan, Culture Researcher said: "She was the last Queen Mother and played a significant role in the history of Nguyen Dynasty after Bảo Đại’s abdication. She was very important in the development of the culture and religion here in Hue."

The two-storey house stands near An Cựu River and was built in an Indochinese architectural style. The house is now home to archives and family artefacts.

Dr. Phan Thanh Hai, Hue Monuments Conservation Centre, Thua Thien-Hue Province said: "After discussing with other experts, we decided to restore the royal space here and integrate tourism services into the building so that more people can know about this figure."

Visitors can explore the history of the building, and the life of the last Queen Mother s well as enjoy royal cuisine and music performances.