Stuck on royal burial grounds of Vietnam's last dynasty, Hue residents push for relocation

An Lang is located in An Cuu Ward, Hue City, central Vietnam. Within the tomb complex's Zone I protection area are aging apartment blocks and private homes.

Some residents moved in after 1975 as government employees and workers. Now elderly, they are still waiting to learn when they can move to new homes.

Half a century living in Nguyen emperor’s tomb complex

Hoang Van Phi, 83, a former official with the provincial industry department, has lived in the apartment complex for more than 45 years. He and three family members have spent years sharing a cramped, 30-square-meter apartment at 10 Duy Tan Street.

Over time, the homes have deteriorated. Roofs leak during rain, while indoor spaces become stiflingly hot on sunny days, making daily life difficult for residents.

"Like many other households here, my family hopes to be relocated to new housing as soon as possible," Phi said.

Along the apartment blocks, many households have added corrugated metal roofs to create more living space. The makeshift coverings and tarpaulins overlap, leaving the area looking cluttered and run-down.

Not far from Phi’s apartment complex, Cao Xuan Hoi, 66, lives with dozens of other households in two aging residential blocks. His home is about 20 meters from the royal tomb, which he can see by simply opening the kitchen door.

Hoi said the two blocks were originally provided as housing for workers of a local livestock breeding and animal feed company. He and other residents later purchased their homes under a state asset sale scheme and have lived there ever since.

“The homes were purchased a long time ago, and some have changed hands several times. Some households still have purchase receipts, while others no longer have the paperwork,” Hoi said.

Like many other residents, Hoi hopes to be relocated soon. He also wants fair compensation, assistance and resettlement policies that would allow his family to rebuild their lives.

Compensation and resettlement hurdles 

Le Thang Long, vice chairman of An Cuu Ward, said local authorities are working with relevant agencies to clear the An Lang site.

A land recovery notice covering more than 4.4 hectares was issued in August 2025, with the city initially targeting completion of site clearance by the end of that year. However, the process continues to face significant obstacles.

Long said all 148 cases have been inventoried, with compensation and assistance plans approved for 68 and the remaining 80 still awaiting approval.

Of the approved cases, only 29 households have received resettlement approval, but none has handed over their land or been allocated a resettlement plot. The remaining cases are still being processed.

Long said the main obstacles are verifying land origins and determining eligibility for compensation, assistance and resettlement, as properties have been used and transferred over several periods.

Outstanding cases include properties transferred after July 1, 2014, and land encroached on after the heritage protection zone was established in 1991, among other cases.

Hoang Viet Trung, director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre, said residents living within the protected heritage zone affect the landscape of An Lang.

However, site management must balance heritage preservation with residents’ legitimate rights and interests.

Once the households have been relocated, the centre will landscape the area to support the preservation and promotion of An Lang’s heritage value.