The draft revised Law on Cultural Heritage submitted at the 8th session of the 15th-tenure National Assembly still maintains the proposal to establish the Cultural Heritage Conservation Fund to create a funding source for protection activities and promotion of the cultural heritage values, which have not yet been supported or inadequately funded by the state budget.
The preservation of private heritage buildings remains a persistent concern. The cultural, architectural, and historical values cannot afford to wait for discussions on whether they should be preserved or not.
Inheritance dispute over an unclear period of 20 years
An ancient house called Van Duong Phu, built by Mr. Vuong Hong Sen, a cultural researcher, an academic, and a famous collector of antiques in Binh Thanh District, is a well-known masterpiece of architecture in HCMC.
Since being recognized as a cultural heritage site, the ancient building has not been repaired and upgraded for over 20 years due to family inheritance disputes. The People's Committee of Binh Thanh District has issued an enforcement decision to address the situation of the severely degraded house in accordance with Decision No. 6200/QĐ-KPHQ dated August 23, 2023, issued by the Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Thanh District.
According to many sources, Mr. Vuong wished to donate his entire cultural studies and collection to the state after his passing.
Chairwoman of the HCMC Cultural Heritage Association, Le Tu Cam, said that Mr. Vuong Hong Sen created a list of books and antiques to be donated to the state. The record of receiving the books and antiques has the signatures of Mrs. Cam and the late Vietnamese revolutionary, scholar, and journalist Tran Bach Dang. However, the donation did not include the house. When the house was recognized as a city-level heritage site, his books were transferred to the General Sciences Library of HCMC, while the antiques were sent to the HCMC History Museum.
According to the latest information from a family member of Mr. Vuong, 23 bookshelves that had been sealed and were part of the items he donated to the state have suddenly disappeared.
It is a significant loss in the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage values and the artifacts of the renowned scholar in the field of Southern Vietnamese cultural studies.
Mr. Phu’s century-old mansion in Dong Nai Province
Recently, there has been growing public concern about an ancient mansion built by Mr. Vo Ha Thanh, a former local governor in the administrative system during the French colonial period. The villa called Mr. Phu’s mansion is located on the banks of the Cai River in Dong Nai Province. The building was built in 1924, featuring French architecture and Eastern Feng Shui elements from the early 20th century. According to Mr. Phu’s family, there is a secret tunnel beneath the basement that leads out to the Dong Nai Riverbank.
Most of the materials used to build the villa were imported from France, and at the time of its completion, it was the largest mansion in the former Bien Hoa Province. During the years of war, the sturdy villa served as a refuge for over 100 local people from the surrounding areas. However, the villa has currently deteriorated significantly due to a lack of restoration and maintenance.
The building almost fell into oblivion until the announcement of the construction project of Dong Nai Riverside Road. According to the plan, the riverside road project will encroach on nine meters of the land, on which the villa is located. Dong Nai authorities have estimated compensation for the villa's owner at nearly VND5.4 billion (US$212,363).
The Department of Construction of Dong Nai Province, in coordination with the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and relevant units, has surveyed the location and current condition of the old villa.
According to Mr. Nguyen Hong An, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Dong Nai Province, the local authorities have chosen the option of adjusting the Dong Nai riverside road proposed by the Department of Construction in order to preserve the ancient mansion. The house is currently managed by Mrs. Dang Thi Phuong Linh, and the heir has not yet been identified. All compensation funds for the house are temporarily kept at the State Treasury in accordance with regulations.
Currently, the area of the old house is designated for tourism development according to the 2014 master plan. The Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Dong Nai Province has delegated the provincial museum to prepare the document for recognizing the building as a provincial-level heritage before April 2025.
It needs cooperation between departments, units, and individuals to solve the problem of preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritage. However, the cultural, architectural, and historical values cannot afford to wait for discussions on whether they should be preserved or not.
