Old streets and the spirit of the past.

Dien Hai Fortress viewed from above. Photo: Xuan Son

A few words about the old "Western Quarter"...

Immediately after King Đồng Khánh and King Thành Thái successively signed edicts ceding territory, allowing France to use Da Nang as the "nucleus" for expanding its power in Central Vietnam, the French wanted Da Nang to be a "miniature Paris," following a standard European urban design: using the Quai Courbet (now Bạch Đằng) axis as the backbone, with the Garnier (Lê Lợi) and Pourpe (Phan Châu Trinh) lines intersecting at right angles, creating a network of wide, straight streets.

At that time, the residential area north of Han Market was reserved for French agencies, French and European-American expatriates (what the Vietnamese called the "Western Quarter"), while the area south of Han Market was the residential area for Vietnamese people, known as the "Vietnamese Quarter". One side featured magnificent Western-style houses with beautiful and modern architecture, while the other side consisted of crowded thatched houses, interspersed with a few tiled houses belonging to Vietnamese officials and merchants.

I once spoke with a civil engineer from the French colonial era in Da Nang. He had studied at the Hue College of Engineering and Technology before being assigned to Da Nang to work on street planning, underground drainage systems, urban greenery, and more.

Anyone who was amazed by the "Paris sewers" chapter in "Les Misérables" will find it interesting to hear the old engineer say that the French built the "Tourane sewer system" using the most advanced technology of the time, with a slope towards the Han River, a testament to the most modern infrastructure in Indochina at that time, helping to quickly and effectively resolve the flooding problems of this city for generations to come.

The most recognizable feature of Da Nang during the French colonial period was its wide streets, large sidewalks, and uniformly planted trees. The rows of mahogany, black star trees, Indian almond trees, tamarind, and purple acacia trees along Quang Trung, Le Duan, Tran Phu, and Phan Chau Trinh streets that remain to this day are thanks to research into the city's climate, including intense sunshine, fierce storms, and heavy rainfall.

The rows of longan and fig trees along the old Quang Nam road, or the rows of casuarina trees along My Khe beach... are the "lungs," forming the soul of a modern city hidden behind lush green forests. In the 1990s, everyone could clearly see the presence of the "Western Quarter" and urban greenery on streets like Quang Trung, Le Duan, Tran Phu, and Bach Dang... now seemingly a thing of the past.

The French strictly supervised architecture in the city center: houses could not exceed 5 stories, paint colors, ground floor height, and facade details were all subject to specific regulations. Thanks to this, French villas in Da Nang have walls 40cm thick, double-layered glass and railings inside and out, providing excellent waterproofing, keeping them cool in summer and warm in winter, leading many to secretly wish they could "eat Chinese food and live in a Western-style house."

Despite being over a century old, these Western-style villas still retain their unique character, harmonizing with the urban landscape and serving as a highlight of modern Da Nang.

According to a survey by Associate Professor, Doctor of Architecture Pham Dinh Viet, Da Nang currently has about 22 French-style villas that are considered valuable for preservation. Most are currently used as residences, offices, or cafes, but many have deteriorated and become distorted due to a lack of appropriate planning for their development.

By 1945, Da Nang had nearly 50 streets named after French politicians, generals, or people who had contributed to the French. The street signs were made of concrete, with embossed patterns, and positioned at an angle for easy visibility from multiple directions – a distinctive remaining example being the street sign to the Cham Museum right next to the current Novotel building.

However, Da Nang's "old soul" is not only found in its streets and greenery, but also in its old villas: Along Bach Dang, Tran Phu, Hoang Dieu, Le Loi, and Ly Tu Trong streets, Western-style houses with Romantic architecture still stand proudly amidst the bustling city; still featuring red tiled roofs, large wooden window frames, wide verandas, and gardens planted with fruit trees…

453-202507181653142(1).jpeg — A signpost indicating the way to the Henri Parmentier Museum. Source: EFEO Archives.

"The spirit of the past" in the billion-dollar Dien Hai Square...

It's important to remember that when the French transformed Da Nang into a "miniature Paris," they were not only laying the foundation for their rule but also aiming to create a bustling administrative and commercial center, for which roads and infrastructure were paramount.

Connecting the Da Nang City Hall (now the Da Nang Museum) with the old "Western Quarter" area, and linking it with the Dien Hai Fortress National Special Monument – a site commemorating the heroic resistance of Da Nang's people and army against the French in the 19th century – further enhances the sacredness of this historical site!

The restoration of the Dien Hai Citadel area and its planning as a large-scale cultural square is seen as a decision to "awaken the city's memory."

Dien Hai Citadel and the Da Nang General Museum, along with the remaining Western-style villas in the area, will form an exciting shopping, sightseeing, and experiential hub for tourists visiting Da Nang.

The intention to plan the Dien Hai citadel area as a cultural and historical square demonstrates the city's determination to preserve heritage and transform it into an asset for sustainable tourism and service development.

The interior of the Da Nang Museum today. Photo: Kim Lien

This will be a new space built upon the foundation of ancient heritage, an ideal stopover, telling locals and tourists stories about a glorious Da Nang, about the "Western Quarter" in the heart of the coastal city, a "living heritage chain".

From Dien Hai Citadel Square, visitors can stroll past the Da Nang Museum, admire the French villas along Tran Phu Street, enjoy coffee in a space with classic Western architecture, then walk along Quai Courbet - Bach Dang along the Han River to shop at Han Market, visit the Champa Fine Arts Museum; feel the East-West, old-new fusion still lingering on every tree, step, old window, old signpost…

In my opinion, when the Dien Hai Citadel Square becomes a reality, it needs clear planning and regulations to protect the group of French villa heritage sites. The villas could be transformed into boutique hotels, cafes, private museums, or creative spaces.

On both sides of the walkways, along the narrow streets and alleys surrounding this area are rows of characteristic tropical flowering trees, arranged according to the architectural and landscape design of the garden; it is necessary to maintain urban green space planning, limit mass felling, and gradually replace and plant new tree species that are suitable (black star, mahogany, purple acacia, tamarind, etc.) as the French once did.

Conservation is not just about preserving the status quo, but about skillfully transforming heritage into destinations and community spaces, so that locals can be proud and tourists have more reasons to stay longer...

Source: https://baodanang.vn/hon-xua-pho-cu-3298611.html