Man arrested after destroying an old throne in Vietnam

Man arrested after destroying an old throne in Vietnam

A man was arrested by the police on Saturday after having broken off the armrest of an ancient Vietnamese throne who is recognized as a "national treasure", reported Vietnamese state media.

The historical context of the throne

The throne concerned comes from the Nguyễn dynasty, the last royal dynasty of Vietnam, which was in power from 1802 to 1945. This dynasty had appointed the city of Hue in the center of the country as the capital of Vietnam, as is documented by the UNESCO. The monuments of the city, including several royal palaces, ritual sites and graves, were as unesco-world culture

Details of the incident in the Thái Hòa Palace

The damaged throne was in the Thái Hòa Palace in Hue, which is considered the “most important building” of the city, where the emperor held Hof and royal ceremonies took place, said Vietnam News. Shortly after 12 noon (1 a.m. ET), a man who showed "signs of strong alcoholization" entered a closed area of ​​the palace and climbed onto the throne.

The consequences of the incident

The man began to scream "confused stuff" and broke the left armrest of the ceremonial chair, reported the state news website. A photo published by NHân Dân, the official newspaper of the Governing Communist Party of Vietnam, shows a piece of the armrest with a dragon head lying on the floor. Two other fragments of the armrest are next to it.

Psychiatric evaluation and security measures

The man who damaged the throne was sent to the psychiatric assessment due to his "unstable psychological state", who "spoke about delusions and confusion", said Vietnam News. The security measures in the entire complex of the monuments "are tightened with a focus on the protection of artifacts and national treasures", added the state news website.