For the last ten years, hundreds of heritage homes in Hanoi’s old quarter are listed by city authorities for restoration and preservation work, as residents here have been banned from repairing these houses themselves.
However, only four houses in the area have so far been restored while about 200 are still in a dilapidated condition.
Five years ago, two houses at 38 Hang Dao and 87 Ma May were successfully restored.
The People’s Committee of Hanoi City subsequently planned to continue restoration work on the house at 47 Hang Bac, which is one of the oldest houses built in the typical old Hanoi architectural style of the19th century.
According to Do Ngoc Thanh, one of the house occupants, the Hanoi Old Quarter Management Board had met with households to discuss the preservation and restoration of the houses several times.
However, after five years his house is still standing in a run down state, with parts of it collapsing in a fire last year caused by careless dwellers. The fire burned a wooden staircase and people replaced it with a small iron staircase instead.
After the fire, two families’ living in the house left for safer homes. Mr. Thanh’s family and five others still live there and wait for authorities to displace them, as they do not have the funds to relocate elsewhere.
The People’s Committee of Hang Bac Ward in Hoan Kiem District has hung a signboard banning people from travel through the area as it is in high danger of collapsing.
Restoration work on hold
After ten years, Hanoi has only restored four houses in the old quarter, while the remaining 200 are in a dilapidated condition.
Several households along Hang Bac, Ma May and Hang Duong streets hoped that authorities would arrange for new accommodation for them.
51 households have sort permission to rebuild their houses, as they are now inhabitable.
Pham Tuan Long, deputy head of the Hanoi Old Quarter Management Board said they were determined to relocate people from these ancient buildings.
Feasible measures have been proposed to evacuate 1,900 households to the Viet Hung new urban area in Gia Lam District on the other side of Hong (Red) River.
Phi Thai Binh, permanent vice chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee has asked authorized organizations to step up the evacuation of people from the old quarter. By 2014, they should have 1,800 apartments in Viet Hung for people to move in.
