Balancing development and preservation in Hoi An

People and tourists listen to Bai Choi singing in Hoi An.

Once a famous ancient urban area and now a heritage highlight in the core development area, these new wards and communes are facing the difficult problem of strongly developing tourism while still ensuring sustainable conservation.

HERITAGE AMONG THE TOURISTS

According to statistics from the People's Committee of Da Nang City, in the first six months of 2025, Hoi An area welcomed more than 2.8 million tourists, an increase of more than 17% over the same period in 2024. Of which, the number of international visitors accounted for more than 53%, mainly from the markets of Korea, the US, Germany and Australia. Revenue from tourism activities in the whole area is estimated at more than 3,100 billion VND, showing the strong attraction of Hoi An in its role as a heritage tourism center of Da Nang and the Central Coast region.

However, behind the growth figures are a series of increasingly obvious challenges to the protection of architectural space, landscape, intangible culture and traditional community values of Hoi An. The large number of visitors puts pressure on infrastructure, urban ecosystems and increases the over-commercialization of ancient quarters, craft villages, old ports and spiritual sites. Some original structures are at risk of rapid deterioration due to overloading, while many festivals and traditional activities are over-touristized, overshadowing the identity factor.

According to many heritage experts, if there is no timely solution to balance conservation and exploitation, Hoi An will gradually lose its role as the “core heritage area” of the whole region. The values recognized by UNESCO (in the period before the merger) are not only ancient architectures but also cultural living spaces with a community of residents who have preserved the heritage for many generations. This is facing the risk of being eroded by the speed of urbanization and investment capital lacking cultural orientation.

NEED NEW APPROACH TO PLANNING AND POLICY

To preserve and promote the heritage value in Hoi An in the context of changing administrative-urban conditions, a new approach is needed in terms of planning, policies and economic development models. Establishing Hoi An as a special conservation area in the overall development plan of Da Nang city for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2045, is an important step to preserve cultural identity amid the flow of development. Former Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam province Nguyen Thanh Hong said that first of all, the Da Nang city government and functional agencies, localities in wards and communes in Hoi An need to delimit strict conservation areas such as: the Old Quarter, traditional craft villages (Kim Bong carpentry, Thanh Ha pottery), communal houses, temples, ancient houses and the surrounding river and canal system as well as the Cu Lao Cham island area. These are the spaces that shape the "soul" of Hoi An. In these areas, new construction, renovation, festival organization or tourism exploitation activities must have strict control mechanisms, based on heritage and community impact assessments.

In addition, the digitization of tangible and intangible heritages is also being promoted by Da Nang city. Up to now, the city has coordinated with international organizations to build a digital database system for more than 1,500 relics and artifacts, creating a foundation for restoration, virtual exhibition and education-tourism connection in the digital age. This is a direction that both reduces physical pressure on heritage and expands the space for experiencing heritage beyond a narrow geographical area.

“Another notable direction is to develop the community economy associated with conservation, through supporting local people to operate traditional accommodation models (ancient homestays), organize cultural experience tours and selectively restore traditional crafts. Hoi An people with their vivid memories and heritage practices are the key force to help protect intangible values against the wave of modernization,” Mr. Hong commented. At the Hoi An cultural forum held in June 2025, many researchers agreed that Hoi An needs to be seen as a “new-style heritage city”, where the past is not confined in museums but blends with the present in management, planning and education of the young generation.

MAINTAINING THE IDENTITY OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Hoi An cannot just be a short-term tourist destination or a beautiful photo “background” for travelers. More deeply, it is a symbol of the symbiosis between people-nature-heritage, a place where Vietnamese cultural values converge in the midst of the turbulent central region. Preserving Hoi An also means preserving a model of development with depth, identity and humanity for the future city of Da Nang.

According to Secretary of the Hoi An Ward Party Committee Nguyen Duc Binh, in the orientation of developing the space of Da Nang city until 2030, the area of the three wards of Hoi An, Hoi An East, and Hoi An West is identified as a special cultural landscape area, playing the role of a "heritage corridor" connecting the southern eco-tourism spots with the city center. If heritage is considered only as an exploited product, sooner or later Hoi An will lose its soul. To develop sustainably, it is necessary to let people directly participate in preserving and benefiting from heritage, thereby turning heritage into a living resource, not a conservation burden.

Faced with the pressure of growth, urbanization and international integration, how to retain the “uniqueness” in every lifestyle, every roof, every festival, every river is a big challenge. For Hoi An, the answer lies in the steadfast preservation of its identity as a “milestone” guiding all decisions. Because only by preserving its identity can Hoi An become a new type of heritage city, where the past and present blend together, creating the foundation for a future of sustainable development and rich cultural identity.

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