Ngo Mon was built in the 14th Minh Mang year (1833), when the Nguyen Dynasty organized the re-planning of the entire architectural site of the Imperial City
Renovated from 2012, this project is divided into two periods from 2012 to 2015 and from 2016 to 2019 with an investment of more than 80 billion VND, in which, in phase 2, the project is invested with a cost of 44 billion VND.
The items to be restored at this stage include gilding the entire wooden structure of Five Phoenix Pavilion (Lau Ngu Phung) (two main floors and Duc Lau Left and Right) using traditional painting techniques, including lacquering vermilion with gold plated, lacquering vermilion without gold plated, vanish coating _depending on different spaces, renovating the infrastructure around the Ngo Mon Gate area and connecting all of the traffic projects as well as landscape from all angles, renovating the yard systems, bridge decks, balustrades, trees; interior lighting systems, fire protective system according to modern techniques and Vietnamese standards, etc.
Ngo Mon was opened to welcome visitors back on the New Year's holiday in 2021. Many people inside and outside the province came to visit and explore.
In general, the Ngo Mon is divided into two main parts: the platform and the Five Phoenix Pavilion (Lau Ngu Phung)
The Five Phoenix Pavilion has two floors and the frame is entirely made of ironwood with 100 pillars
The researcher Phan Thuan An said in the book Kien truc Co do Hue (Architecture of Hue ancient capital): "Ngo Mon deserves to be listed among the most excellent works of art of the Nguyen Dynasty in particular and of the ancient Vietnamese architecture in general."
Tourists taking photos on the Five Phoenix Pavilion, looking towards Thai Hoa Palace
7
In 1923, under King Khai Dinh’s reign, to prepare for the Tu tuan Dai Khanh ceremony of the King (celebrating the 40th birthday) in 1924, the Ngo Mon was restored, the entire Five Phoenix Pavilion was dismantled to repair
Thanks to the combination, ingenious arrangement plus skillful hands and high aesthetic eyes of the Nguyen architects, the overall Ngo Mon looks very smooth, beautiful, and magnificent.
The door system on Five Phoenix Pavilion after being restored by traditional painting technique
Ngo Mon has undergone a lot of restoration and repair; notably the large-scale restoration of the Ngo Mon which was carried out from 1990 to 1993, with funding from the Government of Japan and engineering support by UNESCO
"After many times to Hue to visit Hue Imperial Palace, this is the first time I set foot on the Five Phoenix Pavilion. Standing here, I can see the majesty and solemnity of an old dynasty," a tourist shared.