The "kite" exhibition center was desolate after the storm.

The Hai Phong International Exhibition and Convention Center, located on Pham Van Dong Street in Anh Dung Ward, Duong Kinh District, Hai Phong City, was built on an area of ​​47 hectares with a total budget of nearly 100 billion VND. The building dedicated to exhibition and convention activities has a permanent steel structure, with a floor area of ​​10,000 m2 on the first floor and 5,000 m2 on the second floor.

Because the building, designed to resemble a kite catching the wind, is used for fairs and exhibitions, locals call it the "Kite" Exhibition Center.

The project was built with the expectation of becoming an ideal location for promoting trade as well as organizing large-scale cultural and sporting events in Hai Phong City.

The "kite" exhibition building in Hai Phong is in ruins after the storm (Photo: Thai Phan).

However, for over 20 years, the project has not been as effective as expected, with very few activities or events taking place there. For a long time, it became a material storage area. For about the last 5 years, the "Kite" Exhibition Center has been constantly closed.

Rarely used and virtually neglected, many parts of the "Kite" Exhibition Center are in serious disrepair. The main building's roof is rusty, and the electrical poles and lighting system are in a similar state. Weeds are growing rampant everywhere, in some areas taller than a person's head.

In particular, after Typhoon No. 3 hit, the exhibition building became even more dilapidated. The kite-shaped roof was severely damaged, with most of the outer corrugated iron peeling off, exposing the iron frame in many sections. The green dome in front of the main building was also broken.

Many days after the storm passed, on the afternoon of September 29th, reporters were present at the "Kite" Exhibition Center area, and everything was still in disarray. The damaged parts of the exhibition building had not yet been repaired. Many trees broken and fallen by the storm in the grounds had not been cleared, making the site even more unsightly.

Speaking with reporters, residents of Anh Dung ward, Duong Kinh district, Hai Phong city, said they hope the project will be repaired soon and that there will be a plan for its effective exploitation and use, avoiding wasting budget funds. Otherwise, it should be liquidated soon to implement other projects, preventing dozens of hectares of "prime land" from being left abandoned.

Much of the roof of the "kite" exhibition building in Hai Phong was damaged by storms, and many windows were broken and have yet to be repaired (Photo: Thai Phan).

Regarding the "kite" exhibition center, according to information from the People's Committee of Anh Dung Ward, Duong Kinh District, Hai Phong City, ACS Vietnam Joint Stock Company is currently assigned to manage and use it. In 2010, the company proposed and received approval from the People's Committee of Hai Phong City to adjust the overall planning of the land area under its management and use.

In addition to the kite-shaped house, the company plans to build more Vietnamese cultural parks, multi-purpose performance venues, water sports and entertainment complexes, and high-end resorts… However, to date, most of these items have not yet been implemented.

In response to this situation, in 2017, the People's Committee of Hai Phong City decided to reclaim a portion of the land managed by ACS Vietnam Joint Stock Company (nearly 20 hectares) and transfer it to the Land Fund Development Center under the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of the city for management.

However, to this day, neither the reclaimed land nor the "kite" exhibition center remains unchanged, leaving many people regretting the loss of this prime piece of land that has been left unused for so many years.

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/hai-phong-trung-tam-trien-lam-canh-dieu-tieu-dieu-sau-bao-204240929162432246.htm