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Roof
with a view:
Lack of floor space has seen many Old Quarter houses make
ad hoc additions, creating a discordant appearance for the
architecture of yesteryear. — VNS File Photos
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Before
the bikes:
A photo of an Old Quarter street taken in 1916.
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Model
renovation:
Two visitors enjoy a moment of tranquility inside a
restored house in Ma May Street. This house, which has
been given a major facelift by the Ha Noi authorities, has
become a showcase "ancient house" in the Old
Quarter. — VNS Photo Doan Tung
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Indecision
places Old Quarter structures at risk
by
Viet Hung
Historians say the
Old Quarter, first formed as a commercial hub in the 11th century, is
not as old as it seems because of the regular destruction wrought by
war, natural disasters and demographic change.
The oldest quarter
of the old quarter is the network of narrow, winding streets that were
the headquarters for traders and artisans from 36 guilds.
The residential
quarter was expanded and new houses built along earthen roads as more
artisans arrived from the provinces.
Urbanisation by
the French colonials at the turn of the 20th century had the paths paved
and brick houses replaced thatched huts.
Now the oldest
houses, most in Hang Buom, Hang Dao, Hang Duong and Hang Bac, are little
more than 100 years old with only aged timbers as evidence that they
might be older.
Earliest
town house design
Architect Nguyen
Thi Hoa says physical value in the Old Quarter is determined by the
design of its houses and the objects for worship – wooden statutes,
stele, and incense burners – in the dozen or so pagodas and churches.
Hoa says the
latest statistics compiled by the Old Quarter Preservation Management
Board show that the largest estimate of "ancient" house number
is 300 and only 10 per cent of these are sound.
Most are
significantly deteriorated.
Hoa describes the
Old Quarter town houses as the earlier types of residence suitable to
marketplace inhabitants. They can be used for living, working and
trading.
Hoa says many
architects and historians define an "aged" Old Quarter town
house by its structure: Its tunnel shape and very narrow width of
between 3 to 5m extending to 20 to 40m.
It can be
two-storey high or a single floor with an attic and divided into several
sections along its length with separate tiny courtyards.
The street-front
room is for sales and a workshop. At the rear is a living room leading
to a small courtyard.
The second part of
the house has one or two living rooms, often marked off by a back yard
that separates the main house from an auxiliary building for kitchen,
bathroom and toilet. These are always at the rear.
Architect Hoa says
that anyone entering these old houses is immediately struck by an
environment that oozes tradition. Such a house is at 55 Phat Loc Alley.
Old
versus the new
Ha Noi’s
administrators started looking at the Old Quarter with a keener eye more
than a decade ago when Hoi An began attracting world attention.
They imagined
their Old Quarter would one day be honoured in the same way as Hoi An.
But geography and
demography decided otherwise.
For the last three
centuries, the world has been oblivious to Hoi An.
Ha Noi’s Old
Quarter has always been the city’s commercial hub and has never wanted
for residents.
Ha Noi
administrators listed about 840 out of the 4,341 houses in the Old
Quarter as "ancient".
They also issued
rules affirming their determination to preserve the Old Quarter houses
by forbidding repairs without official consent.
Hoan Kiem District
Housing Department chief Do Dinh An says, initially when an application
for any repairs or rebuilding was received, his people had to seek the
consent of an ad hoc committee called Old Quarter Preservation
Management Board.
It was very time
consuming.
Now, his
department rejected all applications because it is accepted that nothing
should be done to compromise the integrity of the buildings, so the
houses continue to rot and residents continue to suffer.
Municipal
officials discussed ways to remedy the situation, but to no avail.
Many
conservationists say the city should buy some of the "ancient"
houses for restoration and relocate many of the Old Quarter’s
residents.
But it seems the
city’s shortage of funds is making this impossible. — VNS
Related
Story: A
sigh from the old houses |
