Abstract

This is a qualitative study to analyze the meaning and symbolism of the motifs of hybrid architecture and modernity at An Định Palace. The researcher analyzed data from documentary research and conducted interviews with experts, artists, and scholars to understand the process of identity creation and use of local cultural capital in the construction process. Ruling at a time when French colonialism had completely placed its yoke of domination on Vietnam, the royal family was thoroughly penetrated by Western culture, affecting all aspects of the political, cultural, and spiritual life of society. Aware that the country was in a weak position to be able to fight against the French colonialists, instead of continuing to rebel and make people’s lives more and more miserable, the emperor chose to remain at Hue in central Vietnam and create opportunities for the people. An Định Palace was the first work built by Emperor Khải Định immediately after ascending the throne, along with many other works during his reign, marking a unique period in the history of Vietnamese architecture. Through the An Định Palace project, we can see the cultural identity and national pride of a reform-minded king in the context of the powerlessness of Vietnam’s last feudal regime. This article argues that the Vietnamization of Western architecture in Hue was a lens through which the Vietnamese monarchy could continue to stamp their national ideology on an increasingly Westernized landscape.