At around 2.30pm, a massive fire broke out at a building in the relic, with huge smoke billowing into the sky.

The building displays many artefacts from the resistance war against French colonialists.

The fire prevention and fighting force was immediately deployed to the scene.

After about two hours, the fire was extinguished entirely but had destroyed half the building, collapsed its roof and burnt many artefacts inside.

Quoc Tu Giam in Hue City was a national university to train talents in the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945).

Together with the Temple of Literature in the capital city of Hanoi, Quoc Tu Giam in Hue City is one of Vietnam’s two remaining universities from the feudal period.

In December 1993, Quoc Tu Giam, along with the system of Nguyen Dynasty royal relics, was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage.

Previously, it was used as the headquarters of the Thua Thien-Hue History Museum. The museum was moved to a new location in 2020, but many artefacts are still stored and temporarily displayed at the site.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire. 

Source: Vietnam News