The demolition of the over 100-year-old villa in Bac Lieu (Carrie's house) - which was the temporary headquarters of the Bac Lieu Provincial Party Committee (1945-1946) and was recognized as a provincial relic - to be replaced by a memorial stele is a regrettable story. This has caused much public outrage for a long time.
The ancient villa, built in the 1920s in French architecture, not only has artistic value but is also a historical testament associated with the August Revolution in 1945.
Recognized as a provincial historical relic since 2013, “Carrie house” is not only a beautiful architectural work but also a vivid memory of a heroic period in Bac Lieu.
However, instead of being protected and its value promoted, this house was abandoned for many years, with no one caring. Then, it was encroached upon by people, seriously degraded and finally completely destroyed.
Letting such a valuable cultural and historical work fall into a state where it cannot be restored is clear evidence of indifference in heritage management, and is an undeniable responsibility of the Bac Lieu government and cultural sector.
Demolishing a 100-year-old villa to replace it with a reinforced concrete memorial stele is a forced replacement, poor in both emotion and value.
Because a historical relic - cultural heritage like "Carrie's house", the walls and each brick contain the soul, collective memory of a city, a community.
This is very bitter and ironic when put in context: just recently, the National Assembly passed a Resolution on the national target program for cultural development in the 2025-2035 period with a minimum capital of 122,250 billion VND, bringing hope of revival to thousands of cultural heritages across the country, including works in the same situation as the ancient villa in Bac Lieu.
The story of “Carrie’s house” is a warning not only for Bac Lieu but also for many other localities across the country. We have witnessed many heritage buildings being abandoned, degraded and eventually disappearing.
This is not only a cultural loss, but also an irreparable waste, even with a lot of money.
“Carrie House” - a historical relic recognized by Bac Lieu and was made to “disappear” by Bac Lieu itself.
Act now, don't let any other legacy suffer the same fate!
