Call for Papers - Southeast Asia : art, cultural heritage and artistic relations with Europe/Poland

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The International Conference
SOUTH-EAST ASIA: ART, CULTURAL HERITAGE,
AND ARTISTIC RELATIONS WITH EUROPE/POLAND
www.sztukaorientu.pl/congress ; www.orient.uw.edu.pl/sea

September 29 – October 1, 2011
The Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology
26, Konopnickiej St., Krakow, Poland

The Polish Society of Oriental Art is organising its 14th conference : South-East Asia : Art, Cultural Heritage and Cultural Relations with Europe / Poland which will be held September 29th – October 1st, 2011 in Krakow.
This conference will be held at the time of Poland’s presidency in the European Union and is connected with the activity of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) organisation.

Poland has a long-standing tradition of research in Asian studies, including the region of South-East Asia, and of participation in restoration of art monuments there (especially in Cambodia and Vietnam). Some institutions in Poland have been involved in stimulating academic interest in South-East Asian culture and art, such as the Faculty of Oriental Studies of the University of Warsaw, the Institute of Oriental Philology of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow and the Institute of Study and Restoration of Artistic Works of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun as well as the Asia and Pacific Museum in Warsaw.

Interest in the culture of this region has been growing among art historians, art restorers, museologists, orientalists, ethnologists, theatre, dance, music and film scholars.
Closing date for submissions is 31 March, 2011. Registration information here.

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[Article] Restored 17th century dinh opens.

November, 11 2010 | Viêt Nam News

HA NOI — A 17th century communal house (dinh) on the outskirts of Ha Noi that won the highest prize in the heritage preservation category at the International Union of Architects in Xi'an, China, last month, has officially reopened after months of restoration.
"The model restoration project aimed to duplicate as best as possible the original design," said Tran Lam Ben from the Cultural Heritage Department. "However, there has been some improper restoration work, which we will ask the workers to fix later."
According to architect Le Thanh Vinh, who headed the restoration team, the work was extremely intricate.
"We first had to conduct very careful research on all the relics to gauge what sort of condition they were in," he said.
Ultra-sound equipment was used to check the condition of the house's wooden pillars, he said.
Chu Quyen Communal House's 48 wooden pillars were damaged by weathering. However, only two had to be replaced, Vinh said.
The original house roof was made up of 51 different kinds of tiles. Restorers said 48,000 of the original tiles were saved. Those that needed to be replaced were produced using traditional methods of baking clay over straw.
Because of efforts to duplicate the original design, the work took twice as long as normal, Vinh said.

[ ... Read the full article here ... ]

Prize winner: Restoration of the wooden-pillar Chu Quyen (Chang) Communal House won top prize at the International Union of Architects in Xi'an, China, last month. — File Photo

[Article] Angkor Wat under threat.

17 October 2010 | The Phnom Penh Post | Keeley Smith (additional reporting by Rann Reuy)

An international heritage conservancy has warned that the Angkor Wat temple complex faces “critical” threats in the form of heavy traffic and inefficient conservation techniques.
A report released by the Global Heritage Fund also said the fact that many tourism-related businesses were foreign-owned made it difficult for Siem Reap residents to benefit economically from the temples.
“Hundreds of thousands of visitors climb over the ruins of Angkor every year causing heavy deterioration of original Khmer stonework,” says the report, which is titled “Saving Our Heritage: Safeguarding Cultural Sites Around the World”.
According to the report, the number of visitors to Angkor Wat has increased by 188 percent since 2000, from 840,000 to 2,420,000 in 2009.
An Apsara Authority official said last week that Angkor Wat had seen a 24-percent increase in foreign tourists in the first nine months of 2010 compared with the same period last year.
“Mass tourism is overrunning the fragile archaeology site, with millions every year climbing unabated on the monuments,” said GHF Executive Director Jeff Morgan.
The report also says that the temples have been threatened by rapid development in Siem Reap, and that Bayon temple has already borne the brunt of this trend.
“The nearby sprawl of hotels and restaurants is sapping the region’s local aquifer, which has caused the Bayon Temple’s 54 towers to sink into the ground,” it states.
Morgan said that while the Apsara Authority, the government body tasked with managing the temple complex, and UNESCO had taken positive steps towards ensuring the temples were maintained, they did not have a presence at many heritage sites elsewhere in the country.
“Other provinces have little support for heritage preservation [in a situation] typical of most developing countries,” Morgan said.
Mao Loa, director of the Apsara Authority’s Department of Monuments and Preventive Archaeology at the Angkor Wat temple complex, said she had not seen the report, but that the body would be receptive to feedback on the management of the complex.
“We always wait to see constructive criticisms; we need them to raise straight points,” she said.
She agreed that more conservation efforts were needed outside Angkor Wat. In 2004, she said, Apsara expanded from five departments to 14 in a bid to expand its reach, but some pressing conservation issues remain unaddressed.

Who benefits?
Despite rapid development fuelled by a rising number of visitors, much tourism-related revenue – which the report pegged at US$436 million last year – is not going to locals, the report states.

[... Read the full article here ...]

[Photo by Roger Mitton/Angkorian-era ruins of Banteay Chhmar temple in Banteay Meanchey province.]

[Atelier] French-Japanese Workshop on Science for Conservation of Cultural Heritage

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 Les 4 et 5 novembre 2010 à l’Auditorium Marie Curie, CNRS, 
3 Michel Ange, 75016 Paris.
Voir : www.c2rmf.fr/...

La Société Japonaise pour le Patrimoine de la Science (JSPS), le Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication et le Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) organisent « French-Japanese Workshop on Science for Conservation of Cultural Heritage ».
L'objectif du colloque est de promouvoir les collaborations entre la France et le Japon dans le domaine de la recherche scientifique appliquée à la connaissance de l'art et de sa conservation.

Deux axes principaux seront ainsi développés:
1 - Examens et analyses
2 - Conservation - Restauration.

15 Orateurs sont invités, pour voir le programme de la conférence cliquez ici.

L'inscription est gratuite, mais obligatoire pour des raisons pratiques et logistiques. La date limite d'inscription est le 15 octobre 2010. Pour vous inscrire cliquez ici.

Nous serions très heureux de vous compter parmi nous à l'occasion de cet événement que nous pensons être important pour une meilleure compréhension et diffusion de la Science.

[Article] Restoring history through art.

16 July 2010 | The Phnom Penh Post | Peter Olszewski

A restorer painstakingly fixes a painting at Bakong. [Photo by: Peter Olszewski]

It’s a magic morning at the Bakong temple grounds, with the prodigious Khmer tower framed by blue sky, and a riot of purple bougainvillea blooming at its base.

Cows graze on rich green grass beside the mirror-surfaced moat, monks chant in their monastery and, in the almost ruined Prasat Wat Bakong, work hums as a team of restorers patiently re-render the many religious wall paintings.

While almost all of the restoration at the Angkor temples revolves around the ancient Khmer edifices, at Bakong there is also a restoration team working on 20th century buildings in the complex – the “working” monasteries as such.

Some of these monasteries in Cambodia are festooned with dozens of brightly rendered religious wall paintings highlighting often lurid scenes from the life of Buddha and the Jatakas (tales of the previous lives of the Buddha). Often, however, these paintings are overlooked or dismissed as kitsch, unworthy of being classified as serious art. Some of the more gruesome paintings, sort of Bosch-gone-Buddhist renderings, are often rejected as grotesqueries.

But that’s not the viewpoint of Restaurateurs Sans Frontiere, a cultural NGO established in 1981 that began work at the Bakong site in 2007 at the instigation of Dr Vittorio Roveda, co-author of the book Buddhist Painting in Cambodia.

[ ... Read the full article >> ]

[Article] Int’l team studying Southeast Asia’s longest rampart in VN.

Saturday, Apr 17, 2010 | SGGP English edition | By Ha Minh – Translated by Kim Khanh
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A scientific seminar on restoring and preserving a centuries-old rampart in the central region was held by Hanoi’s Ecole Française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO – the French Academy of the Far East) in the central province of Quang Ngai on April 16 with attendance of many local and foreign scientists.

Photo: A team of international scientists study the longest rampart in Southeast Asia, located in Vietnam’s Quang Ngai Province.

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The fortified wall is considered the longest and largest scale rampart in the country and also the entire Southeast Asian region.
The 200-km rampart is believed to have been built before the 17th century by people and troops under the leadership of Le Van Duyet, a military dignitary of the Nguyen Dynasty.
And while it has been left to degrade for hundreds of years, the rampart - made skillfully with soil and stone - is still in relatively good condition, according to experts.
The western wall of the rampart runs along the Truong Son mountain range through the Quang Ngai districts of Tra Bong, Son Tinh, Son Ha, Tu Nghia, Minh Long, Nghia Hanh, Ba To, Duc Pho, and Binh Dinh.
It then runs into the districts of An Lao and Hoai Nhon in the neighboring province of Binh Dinh, separating the plain and highland.
On high slopes and challenging mountainous areas that are difficult to access, the wall was mainly made of stone to avoid landslides and hold up in unpredictable weather. To this day, these areas have remained almost completely undamaged, said Andrew Hardy of the EFEO.
The rampart’s largest sections measure 4 meters in height and 2.5 meters in width. It also crosses several streams and rivers and includes 115 military posts for 15-20 sentries each.
People in Duc Pho District call the wall Duong cai quan thuong (interprovincial highway) because of its role in protecting the important National Road 1A, which links Vietnam’s north and south.
According to Professor Phan Huy Le, chairman of the Viet Nam Association of History Science, the rampart was formerly used as a multi-function road serving military, economy, business and traffic purposes in the country.
The most urgent task now is restoring and preserving the wall, as well as studying its historical and cultural value, Prof. Le stressed.
Ph.D. Nguyen Dang Vu, a folk culture expert and director of the Quang Ngai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the department is now drafting a proposal to submit to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to have the rampart recognized as a provincial and national relic.
Professor Christopher Young, head of the Heritage Council’s Consulting Board of the UK, said the rampart is indeed highly valuable and has been preserved well so far.
Local authorities should focus on raising people’s awareness about the importance of protecting this piece of heritage and build safety corridors with a width of 550 meters each on either side of the rampart, Prof. Young added.
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[Article] Holding the fort.

21-03-2010

VietNamNet Bridge - The Ho Dynasty might have lasted only seven years, but parts of the family’s citadel built in Thanh Hoa province’s Vinh Loc district still stand, writes Sy Chuc. 

When the Tran Dynasty fell from power in 1400, a high ranking court mandarin by the name of Le Quy Ly seized his chance and proclaimed himself as king Ho Quy Ly.

But why did he change his family name?

Ho was Le Quy Ly’s ancestral name, which can be traced back to ninth century Zhejiang, an eastern coastal province of China. From there the family migrated south towards Vietnam. Ho Quy Ly's great-great-grandfather Ho Liem eventually settled in the province of Thanh Hoa, 100km south of Hanoi today.

But Ho Quy Ly was adopted by Le Huan, who belonged to an influential family in the royal court. He grew up to be a master politician known for his cunning, courage, and boldness. He had distinguished himself in a successful campaign against Champa and through his scheming and shrewd marriage (to a sister of Emperor Tran Due Tung and Tran Thuan Tung), Ho Quy Ly made himself a court fixture as an advisor to the emperor.

As the Tran dynasty fell asunder, he rose to prominence and by 1399 he had become the prestigious post of Protector or Regent of the country. Planning to seize power for himself, Ly decided to build a citadel, which he called Tay Do (Western Capital). He invited Emperor Tran Thuan Tong to visit this new capital.

There he convinced the emperor to relinquish his throne to Prince An (a three-year-old child) before imprisoning him in a pagoda and later executing him. Prince An “reigned” for one year until Ho Quy Ly deposed of him in 1400 before declaring himself as the new emperor.

Ho Quy Ly changed the country's name from Dai Viet (Great Viet) to Dai Ngu (Great Peace). Taking a page from the ruling book of his Tran predecessors, Ho Quy Ly reigned for less than a year before handing over the throne to his second son, Ho Han Thuong. Ho Quy Ly became known as the Emperor's Highest Father.

The Ho Dynasty was short lived, however. The country was in chaos and the Ming Dynasty of China were keen to take advantage and recapture Vietnam. In 1406, the Ming invaded and by 1407 the Ho had capitulated. Ho Quy Ly and his sons were captured and sent to Guangxi. There Ho Quy Ly was put to work as a Chinese soldier and security guard until the end of his life.

Although the leader of the most unpopular and probably the most hated dynasty in the history of Vietnam, Ho Quy Ly nevertheless initiated many economic, financial and educational reforms. The most notable reform for which Ho is credited was the introduction of a national paper currency in 1400. (...) (Read the full article here).

VietNamNet/Timeout

[Film] "Angkor, l'aventure du Baphuon", film de Didier Fassio.

"Angkor, l'aventure du Baphuon", film de Didier Fassio coproduit par l'EFEO est programmé le jeudi 1er avril sur France 5 à 21 h 35 dans l'émission « Un soir au musée » ainsi que le samedi 10 avril à 23 h 55 et le dimanche 18 avril à 6 h 35 toujours sur France 5.

Jeudi 1er avril 2010 à 21.35 (inédit)

Un soir au musée : Angkor, l'aventure du Baphuon.

Synopsis :

"Le musée Guimet des Arts asiatiques demeure relativement peu connu du grand public. Situé dans le XVIe arrondissement, ce musée fut inauguré en 1889 par l'industriel et érudit lyonnais Emile Guimet. Laurence Piquet propose de découvrir les collections inestimables qui y sont exposées. C'est l'occasion de partir à la découverte de quelques-uns des mystères de la civilisation khmère. Un documentaire consacré à la restauration du temple du Baphuon, au coeur de la cité d'Angkor, ponctuera les déambulations au sein du musée Guimet. Depuis 1908, les 300 000 pièces de ce temple ont été extraites de l'épaisse végétation. Une impressionnante modélisation en 3D est utilisée pour le montage final."

Soirée arts et culture

Plateau : 20'

Présentation : Laurence Piquet

Réalisation : Catherine Aventurier

Production : MFP

Documentaire

Durée : 52' réalisation Didier Fassio

Production : France Télévisions / Cinétévé / Ecole Française D'extrême-Orient / C.Toutcom ! International

Année : 2009

Plus d'informations (version pdf) > >--

[Article] 82 historic stone stelae recognised.

VNA/VNS | Anh Tuan | March, 11, 2010

HA NOI — The United Nations' Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has recognised 82 stelae commemorating laureates at court exams from the 15th to 18th century at Ha Noi's Temple of Literature as world documentary heritage.

The decision was announced at the meeting of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and Pacific (MOW-CAP) on Tuesday in Macau.

"I am extremely happy at the decision," deputy minister of foreign affairs Nguyen Thanh Son told the Vietnam News Agency at the ceremony. "This is a real honour for Viet Nam. The laureate record stelae, which bear historical meaning and symbolise Vietnamese intellect, have officially been recognised by the world. We have proved that Viet Nam has a proud culture and history."

Speaking at the ceremony, Son, on behalf of the Vietnamese Government, thanked MOW-CAP for the decision.

He also confirmed Viet Nam's commitment to effectively restore and preserve documentary heritage, actively making contribution to UNESCO's activities in all fields at regional and international levels.

The Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945) wood block documents were recognised with the same title last year.

The 82 stone stelae are inscribed with the names of 2,313 doctorate holders who passed the court examinations between 1442 and 1779 under the Earlier-Le, Mac and Later-Le reigns.

The stelae, which bear the names of Trang Nguyen, Bang Nhan, Tham Hoa, and Hoang Giap (the first, second, third and fourth winning categories at the royal competition), sit on top of stone turtles.

Dang Kim Ngoc, director of the Temple of Literature, told Viet Nam News that the stelae at the temple were different from those in other Asian countries, including China, which had influenced Vietnamese feudal education.

The stelae are mainly in rectangular slanted slabs while those in China have varied forms, including square slabs and cylinders.

The decorative patterns on Viet Nam's stelae are more diverse.

The Temple of Literature was founded in 1070 as a Confucian temple. Parts of the complex date to the earliest period, although much of the architecture dates from the Ly (1010-1225) and Tran (1225-1400) dynasties, with the latest restoration conducted in 1999.

In 1076, Viet Nam's first university, the Quoc Tu Giam or Imperial Academy, was established within the temple to educate bureaucrats, nobles, royalty and the elite.

The university functioned from 1076 to 1779. The doctorate laureate exams were extremely difficult, with few students passing them. Each year, the names of those who did were engraved on the stelae.

UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme, also called UNESCO World Documentary Heritage is an international initiative launched to safeguard the documentary heritage of humanity against collective amnesia, neglect, the ravages of time and climatic conditions, and wilful and deliberate destruction.

It calls for the preservation of valuable archival holdings, library collections and private individual compendia all over the world for posterity, the reconstitution of dispersed or displaced documentary heritage, and the increased accessibility to and dissemination of these items. — VNS

Illustration : The stelae, which commemorated laureates at court exams at Temple of Literature, have been recognised as world heritage by UNESCO. VNA/VNS

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Bangkok Pst : Saving paintings with fire

Saving paintings with fire
Old artworks get a new lease on life as they are copied on to ceramic boards

28/11/2009 at 12:00 AM

Reproductions of art works are now being enjoyed in new forms, on ceramic tiles.
A technology has been developed allowing ancient art works to be replicated to their original scale on to ceramic tiles. It is a form of preservation of ancient artworks which might otherwise perish with the passing of time. Every fine detail of original works of art are replicated on to large ceramic tiles, known as ceramic boards.
This helps preserve the integrity of the originals, including ancient wall paintings.

The technology was introduced to Thailand recently by Ceramica Image Co Ltd, and quickly took the interest of ancient wall-painting conservationists. The technology has made it easier for restorers to examine the details of an artwork during the restoration process.
Jakawarn Bandapraneat, executive director of Ceramica Image, said the technology was proving more popular than he expected.
He imported the technology from Japan following a visit to the Otsuka Museum of Art (Otsuka Omi Ceramic Company) in Naruto City.
The company is reproducing more than 1,000 painting masterpieces to their original scale on to ceramic boards. He discussed the idea behind ceramic boarding with experts at the Thai Office of Archaeology.
A Japanese photographer takes pictures of a mural painting inside a temple. The image is essential in creating a replica using the ceramic boarding technique.
Mr Jakawarn had mulled over adopting the technique here to help extend the life of Thai ancient wall paintings.

The first project for his team involved reproducing an historic painting which depicts the marriage of Prince Siddhartha (the Lord Buddha)] and Princess Mahamaya. It is one of 32 paintings on the doors and windows at Wat Buddhaisawan in Bangkok. The paintings portray the life of Lord Buddha.
The production process takes place at a manufacturing plant in Japan. High-quality photographs of the original artwork are taken here, and the art replicated on to ceramic boards in Japan. It is then shipped back to Thailand, in a process taking at least 90 days.
The ceramic board is heated in a furnace.
More than 30,000 shades of colour go into reproducing the works.
The replicas cannot look "new", so high resolution colours are deployed to help the duplications match the shades of the original.
Experts in different fields such as photographers, art historians, archaeologists and engineers work in teams to supervise the process.
Mr Jakawarn said he likes to educate youngsters about ancient works of art. Some pieces, such as paintings on canvas, are slowly deteriorating over time. Ceramic reproductions help ensure a semblance of the original stays longer.
Khemchat Thepchai, deputy director-general of the Fine Arts Department, said ceramic boarding was a useful if expensive option for preserving paintings.

Pictures :

1/ A mural painting depicts the marriage of Prince Siddhartha (the Lord Buddha) and Princess Mahamaya. It is one of 32 paintings on the doors and windows at Wat Buddhaisawan in Bangkok.

 2/ A Japanese photographer takes pictures of a mural painting inside a temple. The image is essential in creating a replica using the ceramic boarding technique.

Writer: Bamrung Amnatcharoenrit

(THE MYANMAR TIMES) In Bagan, donors work to save a rare wooden gem

RENOVATION work on a wooden building in Bagan believed to be as much as 250 years old is nearing completion, according to one of the organisers of the project.
Dr Aung Ko Ko, principal of No 1 Basic Education High School in Dagon township, told The Myanmar Times he and two friends have raised K30 million from well-wishers to renovate the building, after receiving permission to do so from the Department of Archaeology, under the Ministry of Culture.
However, the group requires an additional K10 million to complete the reconstruction of two platforms at the site, he said.
- “There are altogether four platforms but we can’t afford to repair all of them at the moment,” he said.
Work began in April 2008 and the group hopes to return the fully renovated building to the Department of Archaeology by early 2010 if it can secure more funding, he said.
Dr Aung Ko Ko said the building’s rich woodcarvings, which have been removed during the renovation period for restoration, should make it a tourist attraction to rival the area’s many pagodas.
- “I am sure that this wooden building will definitely be a tourist attraction,” he said.
Most of the woodcarvings portray animals, including monkeys, peacocks and other birds, and there are also carvings depicting Thagyarmin, the king of the nats.
Situated near the Min-O Chan Tha stupa complex, southeast of Taungbi village, the building is built on 72 teak posts, each about 60 centimetres (2 feet) in diameter and ranging in height from 4.2 metres to 9m.
Before renovation, the teak supports had begun to rot at ground level, causing the 18.5m by 13.5m building to list 30 degrees, he said.
The rotting sections of teak were replaced with concrete supports and iron brackets to preserve the upper segments, he said.
It is one of only two notable wooden buildings in Bagan precinct, as stone was the preferred building material in the area. The other building, Nat Htaunt Kyaung, is also close to Taungbi village, north of Tharabar Gate.

- “Only teak was used for the restoration,” Dr Aung Ko Ko said. “At first we considered substituting the wood-sculpted floral designs for another material but the Department of Archaeology told us to only use wood in order to maintain the original style.”

The nameless building is thought to have once been a monastery constructed in the early stages of the Konbaung era. Department of Archaeology research shows it was frequently visited by Konbaung-era kings, Dr Aung Ko Ko said, which should add to the building’s tourist appeal.

By Khine Thazin Aung and Aye Aye Myo - THE MYANMAR TIMES.


*Pictures: The building in the 19th century (en haut, à droite) / Before renovation (à gauche) / Last month (en bas, à droite).

(Thanh Nien News) Historic pagoda on verge of collapse

A 700-year-old pagoda on the outskirts of Hanoi is so dilapidated the whole place could tumble down at any moment.

Bao Thap Pagoda stands beside the Nhue River in Ta Thanh Oai Commune, Thanh Tri District, and will only stay that way if the massive repair job starts soon.

Every month when the moon is full, Buddhists flock to worship under a roof that leaks copiously whenever it rains.

In the Room of Three Refuges, pillars are crumbling, rafters are rotten and broken, and the roof above the main altar is propped up with thick bamboo canes.

Out front, the triple entrance is so rickety that nobody dares open the door lest the structure collapse.

Bao Thap Pagoda was founded in 1225 by Ly Tham, son of King Ly Cao Tong and uncle of King Ly Chieu Hoang. Also known as the Temple of Bo Tat (Bodhisattva), the 5,788- square-meter pagoda was formally recognized for its historical importance in 1990 and its architectural merit in 1992.

Exquisitely painted statues in mint condition fill the front hall of worship, in stark contrast to the building that houses them, and throughout the temple there are delicate religious figurines made of silver and ivory, decorated with gemstones.

Other priceless objects kept inside the museum-like pagoda include a stone stele carved in 1388 during the reign of Tran Thuan Tong, a woodblock carved in 1725, when the pagoda was restored, a copper gong cast in 1813, and a huge copper instrument cast in 1843. And in the library are ancient parchments detailing the rituals for conferring 11 titles.

Nguyen Xuan Thuy, who heads Thanh Tri District’s Culture Division, says the district People’s Committee promised VND300 million (US$16,806) last year to repair and restore the pagoda. However, the money has only just been disbursed to Ta Thanh Oai Commune as the district had to wait for Hanoi’s permission to fix and embellish the pagoda.

With the money in hand, Ta Thanh Oai Commune can now hire a specialized firm to save Bao Thap Pagoda.

* Picture: Bao Thap Pagoda propped up with bamboo canes, repairs are desperately needed.

Reported by Viet Chien - Si Ta.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Hue begins restoration of royal tomb

The central city of Hue on Tuesday launched a VND76.34-billion (US$4.26 million) project to restore the imperial tomb of King Dong Khanh (1864-1889).

 A construction in the area of the imperial tomb of King Dong Khanh (1864-1889)

Set for completion in 2012, the restoration project is divided into two stages with the first targeting the mausoleum’s structures, including gates and palaces.

The second stage will renovate the tomb and embellish its surrounding area.

Located in Thuong Hai Hamlet of Thuy Xuan Commune, the tomb of the ninth king of Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) was built in 1888 and renovated several times until 1923.

It is part of the Nguyen dynasty’s complex of royal tombs in the old imperial capital of Hue, recognized as a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO in 1993.

The tomb of King Dong Khanh has been closed to the public for several years owing to its rundown condition.

Source: SGGP

(AFP) Cambodian temple puzzle nearly complete

SIEM REAP, Cambodia — On a muggy afternoon in Cambodia's ancient Angkor complex, workers in hardhats hunch over the world's biggest jigsaw puzzle, painstakingly assembling sandstone blocks.
Walled-off from camera-toting tourists, they are finally close to completing an astonishing reconstruction of the fabled 11th century Baphuon Temple.
- "This is not easy to plan like a construction project is," says architect Pascal Royere from the French School of Asian Studies, who is leading the rebuilding team. Restorers dismantled Baphuon in the 1960s when it was falling apart, laying some 300,000 of its stone blocks in the grass and jungle around the site. But before the French-led team of archaeologists could reassemble the 34-metre (112-foot) tall temple, the hardline communist Khmer Rouge swept to power in 1975.
Up to two million people died from overwork, starvation and torture as the regime tried to re-set Cambodia to "Year Zero" by eliminating reminders of its past -- including the records to put Baphuon back together.
- "The archive of the numbering system (for scattered stones) was stolen and destroyed by the Khmer Rouge," Royere says. "We had to face a kind of jigsaw puzzle without the picture how to rebuild it."
Chinese envoy Zhou Daguan, who visited the Khmer kingdom in 1226, described Baphuon as a "an exquisite site" with a bronze tower.
Baphuon was the largest monument in the Khmer empire when it was built under King Udayadityavarman II as a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Shiva. In the kingdom which at one time spanned parts of modern-day Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia, Baphuon's size was only eclipsed by the famed Angkor Wat temple.

- "I believe that when the restoration of the temple is done, a lot of visitors will climb to see it," says Soeung Kong, deputy director general of the Apsara Authority, which oversees Cambodia's ancient temples. "It is high, so they can have nice views of surrounding temples."
After the 1991 peace agreement to end Cambodia's civil war, French architect Jacques Dumarcay, who was in charge of Baphuon's restoration from 1964 to 1970, rushed back to the site and appointed Royere to do his old job. Despite invaluable input from Dumarcay and others who worked on Baphuon in the 60s and 70s, reconstruction required measuring and weighing each block, as well as numerous drawings to figure out how each part fits.
When Royere began work on the project in 1993, grass and jungle had grown over most of Baphuon's blocks. He spent much of 1994 trying to figure out how to approach the complicated job.
- "Each block has its own place. It can't be replaced by another one because there's no mortar between them and you will not find two blocks that have the same volume and the same dimensions."

It was first estimated Baphuon would be rebuilt by 2003 or 2004. Now Royere says it will take until the end of next year, but adds the hardest task - stabilizing Baphuon so it doesn't collapse - is now complete.
Recent work has focused on a 22-metre (72 foot) high pile of rubble which collapsed in 1971, covering a quarter of the monument.
- "It was a kind of landslide mixed with blocks. In 2008 we started to dismantle it, taking care of each block and building a concrete retaining wall," Royere says. "When you take one brick, you have to take care another doesn't collapse. It took double the time we thought."
Last year Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni presided over a ceremony marking the restoration of a 70-metre (230-foot) long reclining Buddha statue along one of Baphuon's walls.
Now, Royere says, his project is entering its final stage, matching parts of intricate ornamentation altered in the 16th century when stones were shifted from the top of Baphuon to build the reclining Buddha.
- "Now it's the most interesting," Royere says. "We have now the picture because we worked for a long time."

By Patrick Falby (AFP) – Oct 27, 2009