Back through half a century with the Seminar ‘The restoration process of the Hue kite artifact’

The story of “waking the kite” — revived from the memories of a U.S. pilot half a century ago — was recounted by Vietnamese scholars at the seminar “The Restoration Process of the Hue Kite Artifact”, held on the evening of June 13 at the Hanoi Creative City Coordination Center. Delegates shared insights into the preservation and restoration of artifacts, fine handicrafts, and works of art in Vietnam.

Initiated by researcher Vu Do and the Lan Tinh Foundation, the seminar was co-organized by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and the Lan Tinh Foundation, with support from the Hanoi Creative City Coordination Center (under the Hanoi Museum) and journalist Truong Uyen Ly. The event aimed to highlight the value of Vietnamese traditional craftsmanship, raise public awareness, and spark new ideas for the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage.

Attendees included:

Mr. Dang Minh Ve – Deputy Director of the Hanoi Museum
Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hoa – Director of the Hanoi Creative City Coordination Center
Ms. Bui Thi Quyen – Director of the Dan Phuong District Center for Culture, Information, and Sports
Mr. Nguyen Duc Tang – Director of the Center for Research and Promotion of Cultural Heritage Values
Representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the Fulbright Scholarship Program
Distinguished Artisan Nguyen Dang Hoang and the Hue Kite Club

Also present were representatives from cultural centers, cultural heritage conservation units, groups specializing in traditional paper toys, Hanoi kite clubs, along with scholars, artisans, and heritage enthusiasts attending both in person and online via Zoom.

The Seminar Attracted Interest from Professionals, Managers, and the General Public (Credit: Organizers)

The idea for the seminar began with an unexpected and emotional journey by scholar Vu Do. In March 2025, during a visit to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, he accidentally came across a Vietnamese kite that had been kept for decades in the museum’s conservation room. According to the artifact’s records, in 1967, U.S. Air Force Colonel Robert C. “Bob” Mikesh—an admirer of Hue kites—commissioned Hue artisan Doan Van Chuoc to craft the piece and later brought it to the United States at the request of Paul E. Garber, the museum’s curator at the time. Both Mikesh and Garber would go on to become pioneers in the field of aviation conservation.

Scholar Vu Do shares his journey of waking up the kite (Credit: Organizers)

Working closely with the museum’s conservation specialists, curators, and archivists for nearly a month, Vu Do successfully restored the kite. His work was based on scientific and systematic measurements, inspections, and research of the archives concerning the artifact’s origins, crafting techniques, and materials, as well as the historical story behind it.

Close-up of the kite before and after restoration (Credit: Organizers)

Alongside Vu Do, several experts, audience members, and guests at the seminar shared further experiences regarding artifact restoration and preservation in their respective museums, as well as the journey to locate the family of the kite artisan in Hue from 1967. The seminar became a space to connect heritage communities—from kite artisans to museum researchers, from the creative younger generation to international curators—to discuss how we can preserve and recount heritage stories vividly and professionally. The kite’s journey does not end here; many more stories will be told in the future. This could be the starting point for new restoration, conservation, and connection projects between Vietnam and the world, where every artifact has a story that deserves to be heard and brought back to life.

The year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States, making the story of “waking up the kite” even more meaningful. The kite now stands as a symbol of peace and opens up new potential for cooperation in the fields of conservation, preservation, and restoration of cultural heritage, handicrafts, and art.