Nguyen Dynasty female costumes, personal belongings on display in Hue

Traditional costumes and personal belongings of women in the Nguyen Dynasty were on display at an exhibition held at the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre in Hue city on October 20.

Traditional costumes and personal belongings of women in the Nguyen Dynasty were on display at an exhibition held at the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre in Hue city on October 20.

The exhibition, entitled ‘The Cultural Space of the Truong Sanh Palace in the Hue Royal Palace’, is organised for the first time to display royal objects as well as introduce relevant cultural services in the Truong Sanh palace.

It is part of efforts to expand offerings for visitors to the Hue Citadel.

The objects on display are closely associated with the life of women living in the royal palaces under the Nguyen Dynasty such as the queen mother’s ceremonial dress, scarf box, shoes, mirror and make-up case.

The exhibition also introduces patterns on traditional female costumes, horizontal lacquered boards and restored mirror pictures, reviving the life of women in the royal family as well as the images of the Truong Sanh or Truong Ninh Palace from the times of King Minh Mang to King Khai Dinh.

It includes a presentation of Hue “ao dai” (traditional long dress) and traditional embroidery and painting techniques on silk.

Visitors to the event can purchase a royal tea-set, alcohol-set and medicinal herbs used to create the well-known Minh Mang medical prescription.

Dr. Phan Thanh Hai, Director of the Centre, said the Truong Sanh Palace was built in 1822 in the northwest of the Citadel under the reign of Minh Mang King with the original name of Truong Ninh, functioning as a royal flower garden for the queen mother’s leisurely strolls.

The palace has been restored to its original beauty to serve tourism.