$67M conservation planned for Hoi An

In the plan recently submitted to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Quang Nam aims to develop Hoi An into an eco-cultural-tourism city, expanding its role as a driving force in the tourism-service development of the central coastal region and the country as a whole. The goal is to have Hoi An to become a household name in Asia with a reputation as a world-class destination.

To achieve the target, the province will renovate and restore degraded relics while upgrading museums, theaters, rest stops, libraries, and traditional exhibition rooms.

Intangible cultural heritage and valuable heritage documents will be identified, inventoried, placed in a scientific record management system, and preserved.

The province will upgrade its systems of fire prevention and control, as well as pest control, and build embankments to protect the ancient town from floodwaters.

Of the proposed sum, VND1.47 trillion will come from the state budget and the rest will be official development aid loans.

Hoi An's historic Old Town lies along the north of the lower Thu Bon River, within the World Cultural Heritage triangle of Hue - Hoi An - My Son. The city currently has 1,439 relics, with 1,175 architectural and artistic relics residing in its core area.

The ancient town was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1999.

According to Quang Nam province assessments, the ancient town of Hoi An faces many challenges that directly threaten the survival of its heritage.

The historic town faces significant waste management challenges due to the large number of visitors it receives every year. The influx of tourists results in increased waste and wastewater, issues that have not been fully resolved.

At the same time, the pressure from daily visitor activity is threatening the preservation and sustainability of the UNESCO World Heritage site.

In addition, the entire town gets submerged in mud and floodwaters two to three times per year during the central region's storm season.

Hoi An is also facing challenges from riverbank and coastal erosion, and tidal surges.

Many relics have been damaged by termites, insects, microorganisms, and mold, but so far no thorough solution has been made to ensure the supply of traditional materials for restoration investment, especially wood, bricks, tiles, and traditional mortar.

The total number of visitors to Hoi An in 2023 was 4 million, nearly twice the previous year, of which, there were 3 million international visitors, an increase of 327.63% over the same period.