A technician from Kärcher cleans the Ngo Mon Gate. The company is partnering with the Hue Monuments Conservation Center to carry out a 15-day project to clean the gate (an Imperial Palace relic) in the Hue Monuments Complex in Hue, a former imperial city. – VNS Photo courtesy of Kärcher Vietnam
Kärcher, a worldwide provider of cleaning technology, has announced that it partners with the Hue Monuments Conservation Center Centre (HMCC) to carry out a 15-day project to clean up the Ngo Mon Gate (an Imperial Palace relic) in the Hue Monuments Complex in Hue City.
With the approval of the People’s Committee of Thua Thien-Hue Province, the project began on March 15.
The project is part of Kärcher’s cultural sponsorship programme, which began in 1980 and helps preserve cultural and historical monuments around the world using the company’s cleaning expertise.
With a location in a tropical monsoon climate, high humidity and frequent rainfall, the gate has been subjected to growth of algae, moss, fungi, lichens and bacteria.
The damaged façade of the Ngo Mon Gate has allowed the growth of seedlings with roots through its joints and cracks on and under its surface.
To preserve this precious historical relic, Kärcher and its experienced cleaning experts from Germany in concert with HMCC will use hot water high-pressure cleaners to remove biological soiling on the Noon Gate.
To fulfill the task, Kärcher applies its advanced high-pressure steam cleaning technology by using super class hot water high-pressure cleaner in the steam mode.
Tran Trong Hai, general manager of Karcher Vietnam, said: “The gate is an important historical relic of the ancient capital of Hue. Almost 200 years old, it has been partially ruined by pollutants and biological growth like mosses, molds and seedlings, which deteriorate the monument’s unique aesthetic value. Therefore, we believe that restoration efforts are crucial at this time in order to preserve the gate, a symbolic image of the Hue Monuments Complex, one of the country’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.”
The company’s cultural sponsorship has cleaned over 140 monuments worldwide. The programme provides free cleaning for well-known historic monuments, landmarks and buildings around the world, including the statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the US, the colonnades in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City, and the Nihonbashi Bridge in Japan, among others. — VNS