Man jailed for damaging Vietnam's Nguyen Dynasty national treasure throne

A man has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for damaging the Nguyen Dynasty throne on display at Hue Imperial Citadel in central Vietnam.

Ho Van Phuong was brought to trial on July 9 on the charge of "deliberately damaging property."

According to the indictment, Tam bought an admission ticket to the citadel around noon on May 24, 2025.

Once inside Thai Hoa Palace, he climbed over a protective barrier, sat on the Nguyen Dynasty throne, and broke off the front-left armrest before striking the artifact further and shattering the broken section into multiple pieces. Security personnel restrained and arrested him about 15 minutes later and handed him over to police.

An official valuation pegged the minimum restoration cost for the damaged part at more than VND173.2 million (US$6,600).

The valuation council said the loss of the throne’s historical, cultural and spiritual significance as a national treasure is beyond monetary valuation.

The Nguyen Dynasty throne on display at Hue Imperial Citadel after restoration, June 2026. Photo by Van Minh

During the investigation, authorities found that at the time of the incident, Tam was suffering from a severe mental disorder triggered by prolonged methamphetamine use, leaving him unable to control his action.

The Nguyen Dynasty throne is a unique original artifact used from 1802 to 1945 during major state ceremonies of the Nguyen Dynasty at Thai Hoa Palace. The Prime Minister designated it a national treasure in 2015.