Reflecting on the story of Hai Van Pass

Looking south from Hai Van Pass, you can see Tien Sa Port in Da Nang City. Photo: PHAM PHUNG

Mr. Tuan, formerly the Deputy General Director of Vietnam Television, is someone I've learned a great deal from. This time, I've learned even more about his strong will, his love of traveling and enjoying the beautiful scenery. From the story of Hai Van Pass, we reflect on the journey of this historical site today.

Both localities share the joy.

Hai Van Pass, a work of architectural art and historical monument, has been miraculously restored, evoking many emotions in visitors.

Hai Van Pass, located atop the Hai Van mountain pass on the border between Hue and Da Nang, was built in 1826 during the reign of Emperor Minh Mang. Besides its role in the distant defense of the capital city of Hue, Hai Van Pass also directly controls the Da Nang seaport – a strategically important gateway for economic development and national defense.

After nearly 200 years of enduring rain and sun, and being heavily bombarded during two fierce wars, Hai Van Pass has severely deteriorated, becoming a ruin that evokes feelings of regret and sorrow in anyone who passes by. Those working in the cultural field feel even more regretful.

The first and biggest obstacle to preserving, restoring, and promoting the value of Hai Van Pass is the issue of ownership of the monument. Because it is located right at the top of the pass, Hai Van Pass does not necessarily belong to Hue , nor does it necessarily belong to Da Nang.

Hai Van Pass at night, viewed from above. Photo: PHAM PHUNG

The administrative boundaries between Hue and Da Nang remained unclear until the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century. For intangible cultural heritage such as Southern Vietnamese folk music (Don Ca Tai Tu), Central Vietnamese Bài Chòi art, and the Central Highlands Gong Culture Space, it's common for multiple localities to share ownership. However, there's no precedent for shared ownership of tangible cultural relics like Hai Van Pass.

Therefore, cultural workers in Da Nang made a strong proposal to cooperate with the cultural sector of Thua Thien Hue province to jointly own this historical site. We were pleased that our colleagues in the neighboring province agreed, and together we reported to the leaders of both localities before submitting the dossier to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to request its classification as a national historical site.

The joy of cultural workers erupted when Hai Van Pass was recognized as a national monument shared by Thua Thien Hue and Da Nang in mid-2017.

Restoring Hai Van Pass

Journalist Tran Dang Tuan asked me, "On what scientific and practical basis is the restoration and preservation of this historical site being carried out?"

That's a big problem, because in reality, many places carry out restoration and reconstruction of historical sites, but ultimately end up distorting them, making them unrecognizable from their original form.

Author and journalist Tran Dang Tuan (on the left).

Over time and through wars, some of the original structures of Hai Van Pass have disappeared. Furthermore, several new structures have sprung up that were not there initially, such as military bunkers, power poles, power distribution stations, and war memorials…

The cultural departments of the two localities have persistently worked together to gather domestic and foreign documents, conduct archaeological excavations, dig deep underground, and uncover the foundation structures of early buildings.

A scientific workshop was also held, attended by managers, scientists, and leading experts in heritage conservation, to determine the optimal restoration and rehabilitation plan.

It is important to determine which items absolutely must be demolished (such as the military bunkers that arose during the resistance against the French and are now situated on top of the Hai Van Pass and the "First and Foremost Majestic Pass"); which items need to be restored to their original state even though no traces remain on the ground (such as the access roads, city walls, gates, armories, barracks, and observation towers); and which items should be preserved as part of the historical site, even though they arose later (such as the military bunkers next to the core of the historical site).

Furthermore, determining the appropriate building materials (cobblestone, Thanh stone, brick, ironwood, etc.) to preserve the shape and structure of an ancient monument nearly two centuries old is also considered to ensure its preservation.

The project to preserve, restore, and promote the value of Hai Van Pass historical site, with each locality contributing 50% of the funding (a total of 42 billion VND), has been completed after 3 years of construction and officially announced for use on December 21, 2024.

In reality, the project wasn't large in scale, but due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the complex nature of the construction site at the top of the mountain pass, and the requirement to restore an ancient structure from ruins, the project took three years to complete.

However, people easily understand and sympathize with this prolonged process. Because, rushing would lead to disastrous consequences in the restoration of historical sites, as we often see in other places.

Journalist Tran Dang Tuan said that when passing through Hai Van Pass, along with thousands of tourists from near and far, including many foreign visitors, he let his soul wander in this place with mountains above and water below, clouds floating on the mountain peaks and clouds caressing the mountain slopes. Discovering an important cultural and historical site that had just been restored from its former state of dilapidation filled him with an indescribable joy.

Filled with that joy, journalist Tran Dang Tuan continued his journey across Vietnam towards the southern lands…

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/ngam-chuyen-hai-van-quan-3146392.html