On the central walking street of Hoi An, there is a house at 68 Tran Phu that is in a state of irreparable damage. The exterior of this old house looks identical to the ancient mossy space around it. But inside, it is a scene of decay, decay and decay.
Due to its hundreds of years of use, this ancient house worth tens of billions of dong in the most prime location in Hoi An is in a state where it cannot be supported or restored. Because these houses are national relics, any attempt to touch or repair them must be approved by the competent authorities. The houses are so degraded that they could collapse at any time, but many people still have to "defy" it to live.
Living in fear in old houses waiting to collapse
According to some surveys, there are 36 old houses out of more than 1,000 relics that are in disrepair. Of these, 10 are seriously degraded, 17 are heavily degraded, and 9 are slightly degraded. According to calculations, to restore this house, it would cost at least billions of dong, the State would support 40-60%, and the rest would be contributed by the homeowner. However, due to difficult economic conditions, the family does not have this additional money, so they have to temporarily live in the above conditions. In addition to Tran Phu Street, there are also old houses in the state of "unable to advance, unable to retreat" such as the old houses on Le Loi Street, Bach Dang Street, Ngu Bang Assembly Hall...
Through the survey, out of more than 1,000 relics classified as houses, 36 relics have been degraded. Specifically, 10 houses are seriously degraded, 17 houses are heavily degraded, 9 houses are slightly degraded.
Director of Hoi An Cultural Heritage Management and Conservation Center - said that, according to the policy of flood and storm prevention for relics in the old town in 2024, recently, the center has coordinated with local authorities and heritage conservation collaborators to review degraded relics in the old town.
For privately owned old houses, in addition to the State's financial support for restoration, if the homeowner encounters difficulties and does not have the money to contribute the remaining amount, the State will provide a loan with no interest for the first 3 years.
But the demolition has not been able to proceed because the legal representative has not been able to work with them. Due to the house being too severely damaged, heavy rains and storms like the recent Tra Mi storm, the people living in this old house have been asked by the government to move out.
The Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoi An City said that currently, state-owned relics are funded by the budget for restoration. For privately owned works, the State supports 45-75% of the cost, the remaining amount is covered by the relic owner.
