Preserve Vietnam War stone relief, Hanoi orders investor

The order was passed Monday by Hanoi’s Ba Dinh District and delivered to the Post and Telecommunication Equipment Factory JSC (Postef).

Postef was set to take down the building at 61 Tran Phu Street for reconstruction.

Existing facilities on the site, which serves as the company’s headquarters and hosts its factory, were built by the French in the early 20th century.

As per the original plan, Postef was to build a Hi-Tech Research and Development Center, but it changed course and decided to enter into a partnership with a real estate developer and build a “multi-functional project.”

The new plan would end up destroying a stone relief on the wall next to the intersection of Nguyen Thai Hoc and Le Truc streets.

The relief depicts how Hanoi was heroically protected from deadly bombings by U.S. aircraft in early 1967 by the nation’s air force.

On May 19, 1967, the People’s Air Force and militiamen working with it shot down six aircraft, and one of them crashed on Le Truc Street.

Now, Ba Dinh District has asked Postef to submit a specific plan for moving, protecting and restoring the relief once the new building is rebuilt.

As per a plan approved by the city administration, the VND1.57 trillion ($68.4 million) development will rise 17 floors to a height of 43m, including six basement floors.