On the evening of November 17, seeing the water level on the Hoai River continue to rise, Mr. Duong Thanh Cuong stood in front of the porch of the ancient house at 23 Tieu La and sighed. In less than half a month, his family had to flee floods twice.
The flood at the end of October 2025 rose too quickly, all the furniture and electronic devices that Mr. Cuong had saved up all year to buy were submerged in water. Although he and his family members proactively moved and raised their belongings, in the end there was nothing left to keep.
Mr. Cuong shared that this 70-year-old house is the house left by our ancestors and grandparents. The wooden ceilings, walls, and columns have also gradually eroded over time. To avoid leakage, the family had to stretch tarpaulins above the tiled roof, covering the house during the rainy and stormy season.
"With customers coming to visit, I don't know where to invite them to sit because now their belongings are still messy, flooded" - Mr. Cuong said and only showed reporters the mud left over from the recent flood.
About 5-6 years ago, his family also saved up to build an additional room behind, as a attic for daily activities, storing belongings, and reducing the burden on the ancient house.
After 70 years, above the attic of the ancient house, where the family used to sleep and store belongings, there is now only the role of an altar. Mr. Cuong confided that he alone dared to step up because the floor was rotten, and the wooden pillars could break at any time of the house's age.
After a prolonged heavy rain caused serious flooding, the Hoi An World Cultural Heritage Conservation Center recently coordinated with the People's Committees of wards in the area to inspect and review the entire system of relics in Hoi An Ancient Town - World Cultural Heritage.
According to the Center's report, out of a total of more than 1,155 relics inspected, most of them are still safe. However, 30 relics are degraded, of which 9 relics are seriously degraded, 14 relics are severely degraded, and 7 relics are slightly degraded.
The center has provided emergency support to a relic (old house at 23 Tieu La). At the same time, 19 relic owners were encouraged to reinforce and support the project. For 10 seriously degraded relics, the Center proposed urgent restoration or temporary demolition due to the inability to ensure safety.
At the field inspection of some relics in Hoi An ancient town in November 2025, Mr. Pham Duc An - Chairman of Da Nang City People's Committee - affirmed the importance of relics in the cultural and spiritual life of the people, especially the role of relics in tourism development.
The Chairman of the People's Committee of Da Nang City requested the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to preside over and coordinate with relevant departments, branches and localities to continue reviewing, collecting statistics and specifically evaluating the current status and functions of each relic.
On that basis, it is necessary to propose feasible conservation and restoration plans suitable to actual conditions.
