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.
Ho Van Phuong sits on the Nguyen Dynasty throne on display at the Hue Imperial Citadel before damaging it, May 24, 2025. Video by VnExpress/Xuan Hoa
An official valuation pegged the minimum restoration cost for the damaged part at more than VND173.2 million (US$6,600).
