Hoi An preserves the soul of the ancient town amid the flow of international integration

On October 20, in Hoi An (Da Nang City), the People's Committee of Da Nang City held a conference to review the Master Plan for investment in conservation, restoration and promotion of the value of the World Cultural Heritage - Hoi An Ancient Town associated with the city's development and sustainable tourism in the period 2012 - 2025.

The conference was chaired by the People's Committee of Da Nang City, with the participation of leaders of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Ministry of Construction ; Ministry of Finance; UNESCO Office in Vietnam; and nearly 200 delegates who are experts and researchers at home and abroad. The event is of important significance to summarize more than a decade of implementing the Plan for conservation and promotion of the value of Hoi An Ancient Town, comprehensively evaluate the results achieved, point out the difficulties and limitations, and propose solutions and appropriate development strategies in the new period.

Mr. Hoang Dao Cuong, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: "Hoi An needs to become an outstanding model of heritage conservation in contemporary life."

Preserving and developing Hoi An in the digital age

At the conference, Mr. Hoang Dao Cuong, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: "Hoi An needs to become an outstanding model of heritage conservation in contemporary life." According to the Deputy Minister, after nearly 13 years of implementation, Hoi An has achieved many comprehensive results, becoming a model in the harmony between "preservation" and "development" of cultural heritage. Conservation space has been expanded, the ability to adapt to climate change has been enhanced, and the role of the community in preserving heritage has been increasingly promoted.

Map of the protected area of ​​Hoi An ancient town.

The Deputy Minister emphasized that in the context of globalization and the strong development of digital technology, heritage conservation needs to shift from "static conservation" to "dynamic conservation", associated with cultural industry, green and sustainable tourism and the application of artificial intelligence. He suggested that the People's Committee of Da Nang City soon study and develop a new Master Plan for the next phase, inheriting the achievements of more than two decades since Hoi An was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage, while updating new trends and recommendations of UNESCO, the Law on Cultural Heritage 2024 and the National Target Program on Cultural Development. Preserving Hoi An Ancient Town is a difficult task but also an opportunity for Hoi An, in the new development space of Da Nang, to rise to become a global model of conservation and promotion of heritage values ​​in contemporary life, the Deputy Minister emphasized.

Delegates at the conference.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Thi, Vice Chairwoman of Da Nang City People's Committee, said that the World Cultural Heritage of Hoi An ancient town is one of the treasures not only of Da Nang City but also the common pride of Vietnam on the world heritage map. Over hundreds of years of history, with outstanding values ​​in architecture, culture, landscape and community lifestyle, Hoi An was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage in 1999, marking an important milestone in the process of preserving and promoting national cultural values.

In particular, since the Prime Minister approved Decision No. 78/QD-TTg dated January 12, 2012 on the Master Plan for Investment in Conservation, Restoration and Promotion of the Value of Hoi An Ancient Town in Association with the Development of Hoi An City and Tourism in the 2012 - 2025 Period, the conservation work has entered a new phase, more systematic, more in-depth and more closely linked between heritage conservation and socio-economic development, sustainable tourism development.

After nearly 13 years of implementation, the Planning has created comprehensive changes in the work of preserving, embellishing and promoting the value of Hoi An Ancient Town. The system of relics has been renovated and restored, many works have escaped the risk of serious degradation; intangible cultural heritage has been preserved and promoted, contributing to preserving the cultural soul of Hoi An; technical infrastructure, landscape and environment have been gradually upgraded and improved; the local community's awareness and role in heritage conservation have been raised; Hoi An continues to be one of the top destinations for tourism in Vietnam and the world, and is also a successful model of heritage conservation associated with sustainable development...

Former Secretary of Hoi An City Party Committee (old) Mr. Nguyen Su affirmed that "Hoi An not being flooded is the unusual thing".

Former Secretary of the Hoi An City Party Committee (old) Mr. Nguyen Su affirmed: "Hoi An not being flooded is unusual" - as a metaphor for the natural adaptation and identity of this heritage city. And since becoming a World Cultural Heritage, the government and people of Hoi An have actively preserved and promoted the heritage from the roots of human culture. More than 400 relics have been restored, many intangible values ​​such as singing Bai Choi, the Lantern Festival, Thanh Ha pottery, Kim Bong carpentry, Tra Que vegetables... have been restored and widely promoted. According to Mr. Su, preserving Hoi An is not only preserving ancient architecture but also preserving the people of Hoi An - gentle, hospitable, slow but profound.

When recognized as a World Cultural Heritage, Hoi An's economy will develop, people's lives will improve, but if everyone only focuses on developing the Old Town, the tranquility of Hoi An will be lost. If Hoi An is as bustling as other cities, it will no longer be Hoi An. Therefore, the issue of Hoi An's people in heritage conservation starting from behavioral culture and lifestyle is the number one issue. "The Old Town may still be there, the old houses are still there, the roads, assembly halls, pagodas and temples may still be there, but if the lifestyle fades, even changes, then the characteristics of Hoi An, gentle, slow, quiet, hospitable, and polite, will not be careful, but will only be a memory, losing the soul of the heritage," Mr. Su worried.

People's Artist Huynh Van Hung, former Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Da Nang City (old) said: Because Hoi An city has been divided into 4 administrative units, the planning and implementation of the plan to preserve, restore and promote the value of this ancient urban area will certainly face many disadvantages.
In order to effectively plan the ancient town, on that basis, preserve and promote the quality of life of "Hoi An - kind and gentle people", I would like to make a few suggestions: Between assigning wards to carry out the planning to preserve, restore and promote the value of the ancient town's heritage and assigning a functional center of the city to do this, it should be assigned to a direct center. Only then can the unity of this famous ancient town be protected.

"Hoi An - pure and kind people" is a very meaningful project in restoring, preserving and promoting good qualities, creating a living environment and a system of Hoi An cultural heritage.

Monument management requires a team of staff with deep knowledge, high professional qualifications, and especially passion for the cultural cause. While waiting for training and development of this team, it is advisable to invite experts who previously worked at the Hoi An Monument Management Center as consultants, because in reality, they completely meet the above requirements.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/Xa-hoi/hoi-an-giu-hon-pho-co-giua-dong-chay-hoi-nhap-quoc-te-i785182/