The Japanese Bridge (Chua Cau) at the Hoi An Ancient Town World Heritage Site.
This was also an important topic discussed at the conference "Conservation and Promotion of the Value of the Hoi An Ancient Town World Heritage Site in the Current New Context," organized by the Hoi An World Cultural Heritage Conservation Center (WHCC), Da Nang City, to commemorate the 26th anniversary of Hoi An Ancient Town being recognized as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site (December 4, 1999 – 2025).
Delegates, including former local leaders, researchers, and artisans, contributed many ideas to continue preserving and effectively promoting the value of the Hoi An ancient town, a World Heritage site, in the context of changes in its management due to the restructuring of the local government into two levels and the implementation of the amended Law on Cultural Heritage.
Suggestions were made for authorities and managers to be more flexible in implementing solutions to preserve and promote the value of world cultural heritage, and to safeguard the authentic beauty of Hoi An. A coordination mechanism should be established and strengthened between the Hoi An World Heritage Conservation Center and the four wards and communes of the former Hoi An city.
The Cu Lao Cham World Biosphere Reserve is located in Tan Hiep island commune, Da Nang city.
Notably, opinions and suggestions from heritage site owners and researchers included: the early restoration of policies supporting funding for incense burning at some village communal houses; research into naming a street after Ho Nghinh in Hoi An; the early demarcation and renovation of the park in the area of Nguyen Duy Hieu's tomb; the promotion of the "Hoi An - A City of Kind and Compassionate People" project; and solutions for preserving and promoting the declining value of Tuong (traditional Vietnamese opera)...
The central topic of lively discussion among managers, researchers, and cultural heritage conservation collaborators was the solutions for orienting and developing a comprehensive plan to sustainably preserve and promote the values of the Hoi An Ancient Town World Heritage Site for the period following the merger.
Tra Que Vegetable Village in Hoi An Tay ward has been honored as the best tourist village of 2024 by the World Tourism Organization.
From July 1st, 2025, when Quang Nam province merges with Da Nang city, Hoi An city will be divided into three wards: Hoi An, Hoi An Dong, and Hoi An Tay, and one island commune, Tan Hiep, belonging to Da Nang city. Hoi An ward will be the ancient town area – the core of the heritage site – while the remaining wards and communes will house the Cua Dai seaport, traditional craft villages, and most of the accommodation and tourism service facilities.
In the four communes and wards of Hoi An, Hoi An Dong, Hoi An Tay, and Tan Hiep, there are currently 1,439 historical and cultural relics of various types, including architectural and artistic sites, archaeological sites, sites related to the history of patriotic and revolutionary struggles, and scenic spots.
Of these, Hoi An ward (the core of the ancient city) has 1,194 relics, Hoi An Tay ward has 77 relics, Hoi An Dong ward has 40 relics, and Tan Hiep ward has 27 relics. In addition, localities belonging to the former Hoi An city possess 8 national intangible cultural heritage sites. This system of relics and heritage sites plays a significant role in attracting an average of nearly 5 million visitors to the ancient city of Hoi An each year.
According to the Hoi An Center for Conservation of World Heritage, from the beginning of 2025 to the present, in the context of profound changes in the national and local situation in general, and in the field of cultural heritage in particular, which directly impact the conservation and promotion of the value of the Hoi An Ancient Town World Heritage Site, these can be summarized into several specific issues such as:
The impact stems from the reorganization of administrative units and the restructuring of the management apparatus. Based on this, the cultural heritage system in Hoi An, while not changing in substance, has undergone adjustments in its geographical distribution and management model. The protected area of Hoi An Ancient Town now encompasses the entire Hoi An ward. The state management system for cultural heritage has also changed accordingly.
The legal system regarding cultural heritage has been reformed, with the National Assembly enacting the Law on Cultural Heritage in 2024. The new law and system of legal documents contain many additions and improvements, creating a comprehensive and synchronized legal basis for the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage values nationwide.
In addition, the impact of extreme weather and the complex weather patterns during this year's rainy season have caused significant damage in many localities; the Old Quarter and many historical sites in the surrounding areas have been particularly hard hit by prolonged flooding.
Mr. Pham Phu Ngoc, Deputy Director of the Hoi An Heritage Conservation Center, said: At the recent conference summarizing the "Overall Plan for Investment in Conservation and Restoration of the Hoi An Ancient Town Heritage Site in conjunction with tourism development and Hoi An city in the period 2012-2025", the leaders of the Da Nang City People's Committee issued directives and conclusions.
Accordingly, the conservation and promotion of the value of the Hoi An Ancient Town World Heritage Site in the coming period must not disrupt the overall historical, cultural, and ecological space of Hoi An Ancient Town in the relevant localities (Hoi An ward, Hoi An Dong ward, Hoi An Tay ward, and Tan Hiep commune); preserve and promote the value of traditional craft villages, historical and cultural relics; riverine and marine spaces; and maintain the spatial linkage between the Heritage Site and the Cu Lao Cham - Hoi An World Biosphere Reserve.
This provides a basis for agencies, units, and localities to develop plans and strategies that will help preserve and promote the heritage effectively in the future.
Cam Thanh village in Hoi An Dong ward was ranked 20th among the 50 most beautiful villages in the world in 2025 by Forbes magazine.
The Hoi An Center for Conservation of Cultural Heritage also proposed several issues that need to be addressed in the conservation and promotion of the value of Hoi An ancient town heritage in the new context.
In particular, in the current context, it is necessary to continue the joint efforts of owners and representatives of heritage sites, communities practicing intangible cultural heritage, researchers, and those passionate about heritage to work together with state agencies and local authorities to effectively preserve Hoi An's cultural heritage...
Implementing the policy of reorganizing administrative units and establishing a two-tiered local government system presents both opportunities for expanding development space and challenges in coordinating interests between the heritage site and its surrounding areas.
This distribution creates a diverse and complex picture, a unique situation rarely encountered in other cities. The heritage site is located within Hoi An ward, but the economic and tourism momentum spreads to the surrounding wards and communes. A small core bears the responsibility of preservation, while the satellites face pressure for development. Without a proper coordination mechanism, conflicts of interest, overlapping management, or a decline in heritage value due to commercialization pressures can easily occur.
Tourists visit Kim Bong carpentry village, Hoi An ward, Da Nang city.
However, viewed from another perspective, this is also an opportunity for Hoi An to enter a new phase of development, one that is "multi-centered" - where heritage is not only concentrated in the old town but also spreads throughout the entire ecological, cultural, and marine environment.
Some opinions also suggest that, in the coming time, management agencies and local authorities should organize the implementation of the Law on Cultural Heritage and its guiding documents. Simultaneously, it is necessary to quickly finalize the specific legal framework for the Hoi An World Heritage Site, including: the Master Plan, the Protection Regulations, and the Heritage Management Plan.
In addition, some specific policy mechanisms that the People's Committee of Hoi An City (formerly) has effectively implemented in the past, such as: the mechanism to support the restoration and preservation of private and collective relics inside and outside the ancient town; and the regulations on financial support for the protection of community religious relics, should also be proposed for continued application.
Representatives from the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Hoi An Center for Conservation of World Heritage Sites stated that they would address and answer questions within their authority. They also acknowledged and forwarded the recommendations to relevant agencies, thereby contributing to the continued preservation and promotion of the value of the Hoi An ancient town's World Heritage Site in the current context.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/di-san-hoi-an-tim-huong-bao-ton-phat-trien-ben-vung-trong-boi-canh-moi-186643.html
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