Thanh Chuong and his wife

Thanh Chuong made the statement after inspectors from Hanoi's Department of Natural Resources and Environment announced that he and singer My Linh’s family broke the law by building houses on forestland in the district.

The artist used from 3,000-8,000 square metres of forestland in Hien Ninh Commune for construction of the structure, the inspectors said.

The case has stirred up public concerns over the fate of the palace. Many members of the public do not want to see the palace destroyed, as Thanh Chuong has spent much of his own money, efforts and time on the project.

Others have said the case proves lax management by Vietnamese authorities because the 'palace' has been finished for years and well known to local residents, but the authorities seem to have turned a blind eye until just recently.

Thanh Chuong started building Viet Phu Thanh Chuong or Thanh Chuong Viet Palace in 2001, using his own money for the construction, which was finished two years later.

“I have spent almost what I have, including money, time, effort on it with a hope of preserving and upholding our cultural values for later generations,” Thanh Chuong said.

Since the palace was built, he has continued to add to it. He said that he considers this his life's work.

“It’s not like an oil-painting that the artist completes, signs in and puts in a frame. It’s a major work in progress, so I always try to add and improve it,” he commented.

“I’ve never counted how much I’ve spent on the palace. I just know that it’s a lot,” he said.

Viet Phu Thanh Chuong is now looks like a garden with a number of large old trees. The artist said he has tried to give it a unique Vietnamese identity embodied by vegetation such as the weeping fig, si trees, banyan, de trees or Ficus religiosa as well as typical images of Vietnamese traditional villages featured by rice plants, bead trees, tropical almonds and Plumeria rubra.

“I’ve chosen each tree for planting in the garden. Many people can’t believe that before Viet Phu Thanh Chuong was built, the area was just a bare hill. I myself sometimes feel as if I was in a dream,” he noted.

He said that Vietnam has many cultural heritage sites, but most of them have been destroyed because of natural disasters, war and lack of awareness. He said that he built the garden with an eye towards preserving it for the next century.

Now Thanh Chuong is thinking about who would be eligible to take over the project for its continued development and preservation in case that his children do not want to.

“If I find an agency or an organisation that is capable of taking care of the palace, I’d be willing to donate it. I believe that there are a lot of dedicated people. I think of myself as being in a relay race. I’ve finished the first stage and now it's time to seek someone to pass the baton to,” he said.

He added, however, that any successor must meet all his requirements in order to take over the task of preserving and developing the palace.