Termination of district-level government activities: Which agency manages the World Cultural Heritage My Son and Hoi An Ancient Town?

According to the Central Government's direction, on June 30, 2025, the district-level government will cease its operations, which means that the My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board (under the Duy Xuyen District People's Committee) and the Hoi An Cultural Heritage Management and Conservation Center (under the Hoi An City People's Committee) must also change their management units.

Determining a suitable management model for the My Son Temple Complex will help promote the heritage value sustainably and effectively. Photo: VINH LOC

Multiple choices

In the report proposing a model for managing My Son cultural heritage sent to the Standing Committee of Duy Xuyen District Party Committee for consideration and submission to the province recently, there are 3 options considered: Establishing a My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board under the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism; or under the Provincial (city) People's Committee; or under the Commune People's Committee.

Currently, the organizational structure of the My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board includes the Board of Directors and 6 professional departments, with a total of 140 staff (8 positions). Of which, 7 have master's degrees, 51 have bachelor's degrees/engineers, 19 have college degrees, 28 have intermediate degrees and 35 have not received training.

According to Mr. Nguyen Cong Khiet - Director of My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board, the model under the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism is considered reasonable because it ensures that My Son performs the functions of advising the state on management, conservation and promotion of heritage values ​​in a timely manner.

“If it is under the Provincial (City) People's Committee, it will also facilitate the licensing of conservation and restoration according to the Law on Cultural Heritage. Not to mention, the mechanism of financial autonomy and resource mobilization is also diverse, creating conditions for the unit to be flexible in operating and implementing professional activities as well as strengthening close relationships between agencies, organizations, local communities and international organizations...

However, this model has shown limitations for My Son because it requires a team of highly specialized human resources and the organizational structure must also be reorganized to suit the new mission requirements" - Mr. Khiet analyzed.

Vietnam currently has 8 world heritages (2 natural heritages, 5 cultural heritages and 1 mixed heritage). Along with that, there are also many different management models. Specifically, under the district People's Committee, there is the Hoi An Cultural Heritage Management and Conservation Center and the My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board.

Under the department level are the Trang An Scenic Landscape Management Board and the Ho Dynasty Citadel Heritage Management Board. Under the provincial People's Committee are the Hue Monuments Conservation Center; Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park Management Board; Ha Long Bay Management Board and Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center.

In a recent report proposing a management model for the World Cultural Heritage of Hoi An Ancient Town sent to the province, the leaders of Hoi An City said that Hoi An Ancient Town has similarities with other world cultural heritages such as the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center and the Hue Monuments Conservation Center.

Therefore, the management model of Hoi An Ancient Town in the coming time (after merging with Da Nang) should be under the People's Committee of Da Nang City to ensure the implementation of comprehensive state management and advisory functions, including conservation, restoration, promotion of heritage values, development of heritage tourism and management of socio-economic activities related to heritage, which is also consistent with the documents that have been and are being revised and issued by the Government.

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism should only manage temporarily.

On May 22, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism sent Document No. 161 to the People's Committee of Quang Nam province regarding the proposal to rearrange public service units under the Culture, Sports and Tourism sector after the end of the operation of the district-level administrative unit.

Hoi An ancient town. Photo: VINH LOC

The proposed content is to establish the Hoi An Cultural Heritage Management and Conservation Center on the basis of merging part of the functions and tasks of the Hoi An City Culture, Information and Tourism Center and establishing the My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board as a public service unit under the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Mr. Dang Huu Phuc - Vice Chairman of Duy Xuyen District People's Committee said that while waiting for the province to merge, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism should temporarily manage it, but in the long term, the most optimal solution should be to assign the My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board to the Provincial People's Committee (later Da Nang City) for direct management to ensure the best conditions for preserving and promoting the heritage.

“My Son is a completely autonomous unit, so it does not have to worry about people and revenue. Therefore, if it is under the management of the province, it will help orient development and better preservation. Because the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism mainly manages specialized fields, it cannot allocate budget for investment and development for heritages, including management of areas, people, land, etc.

This is completely different from the fact that the District People's Committee, Provincial People's Committee or Commune People's Committee can decide on some investment items. Therefore, the most optimal and effective solution is to assign My Son directly under the Provincial People's Committee or Commune People's Committee, and no longer under the management of the Department" - Mr. Phuc proposed.

Sharing the same view, according to the leaders of Hoi An City, the Hoi An Cultural Heritage Conservation Management Center should be assigned to the Provincial People's Committee for direct management because Hoi An Ancient Town is a living heritage, so there needs to be coordination and management between specialized agencies and local authorities in many issues from expertise to handling administrative violations.

In fact, over the past time, the Hoi An Cultural Heritage Management and Conservation Center has effectively performed many professional and administrative functions and tasks, such as directly advising on the management of construction licensing, supervising construction order and landscape; advising on the management and support of private and collective relics, and restoring and embellishing all relics in the city...

However, the current management model is gradually revealing limitations and challenges in management, especially in the context of urbanization, tourism development, climate change and pressures from modern economic and social life.

“The current abolition of the district level is an opportunity to study a new management model that is suitable for the specific nature of living urban heritage, ensuring both sustainable conservation requirements and creating conditions for socio-economic development. This is extremely urgent, so relevant sectors and levels need to study it carefully and thoroughly,” a leader of Hoi An City shared.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/cham-dut-hoat-dong-chinh-quyen-cap-huyen-co-quan-nao-quan-ly-di-san-van-hoa-the-gioi-my-son-va-do-thi-co-hoi-an-3155613.html