Balancing development and preservation in Hoi An

Following the expansion of Da Nang city's boundaries, the former Hoi An, now comprising three wards: Hoi An, Hoi An Dong, and Hoi An Tay, and one island commune, Tan Hiep (Cu Lao Cham), continues to play a special role in the city's tourism and cultural development strategy.

Báo Nhân dân•30/09/2025

Locals and tourists listen to Bài Chòi singing in Hoi An.

Once renowned ancient towns and now heritage landmarks within the core development zone, these newly established wards and communes face the difficult challenge of developing tourism vigorously while ensuring sustainable conservation.

HERITAGE AMIDST THE FLOW OF TOURISTS

According to statistics from the Da Nang City People's Committee, in the first six months of 2025, the Hoi An area welcomed over 2.8 million tourists, an increase of more than 17% compared to the same period in 2024. Of these, international tourists accounted for over 53%, mainly from South Korea, the United States, Germany, and Australia. Revenue from tourism activities in the entire area is estimated at over 3,100 billion VND, demonstrating the strong appeal of Hoi An as a heritage tourism center of Da Nang and the Central Coast region.

However, behind these growth figures lies a series of increasingly evident challenges to the protection of Hoi An's architectural spaces, landscapes, intangible cultural heritage, and traditional community values. The large influx of tourists puts pressure on infrastructure and urban ecosystems, and exacerbates the over-commercialization of the old town, craft villages, former ports, and spiritual sites. Some original structures are at risk of rapid deterioration due to overuse, while many traditional festivals and activities are becoming excessively commercialized, obscuring their unique identity.

According to many heritage experts, if a balanced solution between conservation and exploitation is not found in time, Hoi An will gradually lose its role as the "core heritage area" of the entire region. The values recognized by UNESCO (before the merger) are not only ancient architecture but also a culturally rich living space with a community that has preserved the heritage for generations. This is now at risk of being eroded by the rapid pace of urbanization and investment flows lacking cultural orientation.

A NEW APPROACH TO PLANNING AND POLICY IS NEEDED

To preserve and promote the heritage values of Hoi An in the context of changing administrative and urban conditions, a new approach is needed in terms of planning, policies, and economic development models. Establishing Hoi An as a special conservation area within the overall Da Nang city development plan for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2045, is a crucial step in preserving cultural identity amidst development. Nguyen Thanh Hong, former Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam province, believes that first and foremost, the Da Nang city government and relevant agencies, as well as local authorities in Hoi An's wards and communes, need to designate strictly protected conservation areas such as: the Old Town, traditional craft villages (Kim Bong carpentry, Thanh Ha pottery), temples, shrines, ancient houses, and the surrounding river and canal system, as well as the Cu Lao Cham island area. These are the spaces that define the "soul" of Hoi An. In these areas, new construction, renovation, festival organization, or tourism development activities must be subject to strict control mechanisms, based on assessments of their impact on heritage and the community.

Furthermore, Da Nang city is also actively promoting the digitization of tangible and intangible heritage. To date, the city has collaborated with international organizations to build a digital database system for more than 1,500 relics and artifacts, creating a foundation for restoration, virtual exhibitions, and connecting education and tourism in the digital age. This approach both reduces physical pressure on heritage sites and expands the space for experiencing heritage beyond its narrow geographical area.

“Another noteworthy direction is the development of community-based economic activities linked to conservation, through supporting local people in operating traditional accommodation models (ancient homestays), organizing cultural experience tours, and selectively reviving traditional crafts. It is the people of Hoi An, with their vivid memories and living heritage practices, who are the key force in protecting intangible values against the wave of modernization,” Mr. Hong remarked. At the Hoi An cultural forum held in June 2025, many researchers agreed that Hoi An should be viewed as a “new type of heritage city,” where the past is not confined to museums but blends with the present in governance, planning, and the education of the younger generation.

PRESERVING THE IDENTITY OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Hoi An cannot simply be a short-term tourist destination or a beautiful photo backdrop for travelers. More profoundly, it is a symbol of the symbiosis between people, nature, and heritage, a place where Vietnamese cultural values converge in the turbulent central region. Preserving Hoi An also means safeguarding a model of development that is profound, distinctive, and humane for the future of Da Nang city.

According to Nguyen Duc Binh, Secretary of the Hoi An Ward Party Committee, in the spatial development orientation of Da Nang city until 2030, the area of the three wards of Hoi An, Hoi An Dong, and Hoi An Tay is identified as a special cultural landscape zone, playing the role of a "heritage corridor" connecting eco-tourism destinations in the south with the city center. If heritage is considered merely a product for exploitation, Hoi An will sooner or later lose its soul. For sustainable development, it is essential to involve the people directly in preserving and benefiting from the heritage, thereby transforming it into a living resource, not a burden of preservation.

Faced with the pressures of growth, urbanization, and international integration, preserving the unique character of each lifestyle, each house, each festival, and each river is a major challenge. For Hoi An, the answer lies in steadfastly maintaining its identity as a guiding principle for all policy decisions. Only by preserving its identity can Hoi An become a new type of heritage city, where the past and present blend, creating a foundation for a sustainable future rich in cultural identity.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/can-bang-giua-phat-trien-va-gin-giu-o-hoi-an-post911558.html