PRESS RELEASE

June 3, 2009

United States Funds Preservation of Hanoi’s Ancient Gate 

Hanoi, June 3, 2009 -- U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Michael Michalak announced today a grant for US$74,500 to the Government of Vietnam to preserve Ô Quan Chưởng Gate, Hanoi’s last remaining ancient city gate. The project is funded through the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation and will be an important part of the 1,000th anniversary of Hanoi’s foundation, which will be celebrated in 2010. 

Ô Quan Chưởng Gate, the only ancient gate that remains in the capital city of Hanoi, was built in 1749 during the Le Dynasty. The Gate has suffered from the ravages of time, neglect, war, and urban expansion that destroyed the other 15 original city gates, and is in desperate need of restoration. With the U.S. grant, Vietnamese restoration experts will work for several months to repair damaged sections and to strengthen the gate’s foundation. They will also repair and consolidate adjacent sewage systems to ensure a firm foundation for the gate.

The Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation was established by the U.S. Department of State in 2001 to help less developed countries preserve cultural heritage and to demonstrate U.S. respect for other cultures. Since then, the Fund has supported more than 500 cultural preservation projects worldwide, including nine projects in Vietnam, totaling more than $16 million.