Old house in Hoi An.

Nhan Dan- Hoi An ancient town in Quang Nam province is an architectural complex of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese and western style. But as it is located in a storm prone area,  some of the old houses have degraded and many wooden houses are worm-eaten after natural calamities. This is of great concern to the local people and authority.

According to relic conservation management centre in Hanoi, 15 sites now need urgent conservation. Many of the old houses, after floods, could collapse at any time.  

Eighteen out of 21 old houses in the town are worm-eaten. The house No 84 Tran Phu street, a typical house which is as valuable as Cau Bridge Pagoda is now seriously worm eaten. Ms Hoa, the owner of the house said they are waiting for assistance from the authorities as they can not afford for the conservation of such a valuable in heritance.

Also according to the Hoi An conservation centre, in 2006 and 2007 only, 30 houses were restored and 25 other are underway. At present, 62 sites and old houses are in need of being restored but now money is a problem. The total investment of the conservation is expected at up to VND 48 billion.  

Director of the Hoi An conservation centre Nguyen Chi Trung said the conservation faces difficulties as the local people aren’t able to contribute the money, they just want 100% investment from the State. The conservation is therefore ground to a standstill.

Hoi An People’s Committee chairman Le Van Giang affirmed their restoration policy as saying that the local authority’s policy is to carry out the conservation at any cost so as to ensure that no old houses collapse. Apart from being given 45 - 75% of the capital, the old houses’ owners can be provided with non-interest loans for the joint effort of conservation with the administration.

According to managers and experts, a project should be set up to minimise the affects of natural calamities on old houses. Conservation should go along with the maintenance of daily activities of people living in such old houses. In the long term, the local administration should call for sponsorship from international organisations at home and abroad and also people’s contributions to the conservation project. Only in that case, can Hoi An architecture’s, a World Cultural Heritage site be preserved and promoted.

By Le Duc Nghia