The old town, I spend a little time there every day before heading home.
Ms. CMN's family visited Hoi An and chose to stay at a resort 7 km from the old town. "I chose a place near Cua Dai beach, with a free daily bus to the town. On sunny days, we could spend time at the beach, and in the mornings and evenings, we could stroll around the town. A 120,000 VND entrance ticket allowed us to visit all the museums in Hoi An, Tan Ky Old House, Tran Family Church, the Japanese Bridge, the Fujian Assembly Hall… The ticket was valid for 3 days, so we spent every day exploring the town to see everything," she shared.
Hoi An Old Town
PHOTO: MANH CUONG
Hoi An has long pursued a strategy of "population decentralization," reducing overcrowding and creating diverse tourism products. Visitors to Hoi An should experience two things. Firstly, they should explore the ancient town, which, according to the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), is a "living museum of architecture and urban lifestyle," featuring harbors, houses combined with shops, ancestral temples, Chinese assembly halls, the Japanese Bridge, and more. These experiences maintain high quality thanks to Hoi An's efforts to preserve this "living museum" space. Restoration is also carried out systematically, with the recent restoration of the 400-year-old Japanese Bridge being a prime example. Secondly, they should explore the surrounding areas with their beaches, green vegetable fields, and local crafts.
According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Binh, Secretary of the Party Committee of Hoi An Ward, Hoi An Ancient Town currently attracts a large number of tourists daily. The transportation infrastructure and roads are relatively narrow, while the available land is too small. Therefore, the leaders of Hoi An and neighboring wards are planning to "redraw the traffic map" to address the current congestion. "In the near future, pedestrian streets will be expanded to serve the needs of tourists who want to admire and visit the heritage site. More parks and public spaces will also be planned, because Hoi An is currently very crowded," Mr. Binh said.
Regarding the Old Quarter, Mr. Binh also stated that it is necessary to address the deterioration of historical relics, as well as the issue of residents illegally repairing houses and altering architectural structures for business purposes, which narrows the traditional living space. This causes the "old ways" to gradually fade away. At the same time, the government must educate the community and improve the legal framework and planning. In particular, after the merger of wards and communes, it is crucial to maintain Hoi An as a unified entity as it originally was. One of the issues that needs to be addressed is re-planning the locations of street vendors; determining which areas are permitted for selling and which areas must absolutely maintain a serene atmosphere for tourists to stroll and explore.
Places like Tra Que, Triem Tay, and Cu Lao Cham…
One particular advantage of Hoi An is the presence of the Cham Islands World Biosphere Reserve. The combination of the ancient town and the biosphere reserve helps extend visitors' stays and adds interest to both heritage sites. Cham Islands has very attractive and sustainable biodiversity conservation activities. For example, visitors from Hoi An will see that the rock crabs here are "labeled" for monitoring and are only harvested when they are large enough to avoid extinction. The avoidance of plastic bags also helps the coral reefs in Cham Islands to regenerate…
Hoi An Ancient Town is also "de-crowded" thanks to its "satellite" destinations such as Cham Island, Tra Que Village, and Triem Tay Village, all within a half-hour's travel time. Tra Que Vegetable Village offers experiences in agriculture, cooking classes, and the opportunity to enjoy vegetables with a uniquely sweet and fragrant flavor thanks to the local climate and soil. Triem Tay Village offers experiences in gardens, admiring ancient trees, and boat rides. Following a UNESCO community tourism project, this village also boasts a special tourist map. On it, the village lanes and alleys are shown with their own names as the locals still call them: Ba Chi Ferry Terminal, Thien Tue Alley, the century-old Thien Tue tree, the community garden, and the ancient persimmon tree.
According to the Secretary of the Hoi An Party Committee, for Hoi An's heritage to truly reach new heights and offer unique experiences, stronger investment is needed in promoting intangible cultural values. Furthermore, Hoi An still needs more interactive activities and experiential classes to help tourists "touch" the local culture more deeply.
I recall that Ms. Pham Thanh Huong, Head of the Culture Department of the UNESCO Hanoi Office, said in 2018: "One problem with Hoi An is that tourism is concentrated in the center. Although Hoi An is the most popular tourist destination in Vietnam among the international community, this concentration also leads to many complaints. After visiting all the tourist spots, they find a lack of connection between the community that owns the heritage and the tourists. Hoi An is also disconnected from the surrounding areas."
Therefore, Hoi An's awareness and continuous efforts to create connections with other tourist destinations outside the ancient town is a wise local strategy. The story of heritage management in Hoi An demonstrates that to maximize effectiveness, heritage not only needs to be preserved but also revitalized, integrated into contemporary life, and benefit the community. "Drawing" locals and tourists away from the core area, expanding the space for community-based tourism development, investing in intangible cultural experiences, and exploiting the advantages of neighboring tourist destinations are strategic steps, demonstrating Hoi An's sustainable vision over the years. (to be continued)
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hoi-an-da-dang-hoa-san-pham-du-lich-18525090321505529.htm
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