VietNamNet Bridge – A replica of a royal boat used by the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945) in the last century will be built to carry tourists during the popular Festival Hue 2008 next year.

Thua Thien-Hue Province has accorded permission for building a vessel modelled on the Yen Nhu, used in the 1930’s, and it will be built by a shipyard in Nghe An Province using traditional techniques.

The 27m long, 6m wide boat will have all kinds of facilities including an auditorium for traditional music, a kitchen, cabins for crew and toilets that meet environmental and sanitation standards.

The 115hp boat will be able to carry 100 passengers at a time.

The owner of the boat, the Hue Centre for Monument Conservation, said it would be completed by May next year to serve visitors coming to the ancient city for the festival. The centre’s director, Phung Phu, said the royal boat would also serve as a model for building other tourism boats operating on the Huong River in Hue.

New vessels like this would replace the motley boats labelled "dragon" boats that served traditional music and Hue food on the river now, he said.

Many visitors to Hue complained about these noisy and unsafe boats which did not meet sanitation standards either, he added.

(Source: Viet Nam News)