On June 15, Hoan Cau Joint Stock Company, the investor of the King Palace project (Bao Dai Palace I), opened the site for free visits by residents and tourists. This marks the first reopening in more than two years, following a closure period required by competent authorities.
After a prolonged period of closure, the facilities at Bao Dai Palace I have been preserved and maintained in their original condition, as they were before visitor access was temporarily suspended.
Previously, the People’s Committee of Lam Dong Province leased Bao Dai Palace I to Hoan Cau Company in 2014 to implement a tourism and resort project named King Palace, with a 50-year term.
In 2020, the Government Inspectorate of Vietnam identified violations related to the project in Conclusion No. 929/KL-TTCP. It determined that the leasing of Bao Dai Palace I and villas within the 1.86-hectare premises without a public auction was a breach of regulations on state asset management.
In 2021, the Government Inspectorate issued an amendment to Conclusion No. 929/KL-TTCP, clarifying that if Hoan Cau Company wished to continue leasing Bao Dai Palace I, along with the villas and land within the premises, the asset valuation must be reassessed and the leasing process conducted in accordance with regulations in order to prevent losses to the state budget.
Following the Inspectorate’s conclusion, the former Department of Planning and Investment of Lam Dong Province issued a document terminating the project’s operations at Bao Dai Palace I to proceed with land recovery procedures.
By April 26, 2024, Bao Dai Palace I was closed and ceased welcoming visitors. The issues surrounding the King Palace project were subsequently included in a list of six priority commercial, tourism, and service projects in Lam Dong Province requiring resolution.
Bao Dai Palace I is one of the rare villas in Da Lat classified as Group 1, which includes villas recognized as historical–cultural heritage sites, exemplary architectural works, and ancient houses.
The palace has a total campus area of nearly 16 hectares, of which the main villa covers 711 square meters. This is a typical work of architectural and landscape value, as well as historical and cultural significance.
For villas in this category, any renovation must preserve the original external architectural form, internal structure, building density, number of floors, and height.
