Following the recent approval by the Da Nang People’s Committee, the Son Tra District authorities are about to carry out a project for bringing the community arts into living space and preserving time-honoured local coastal villages.

Multi-hundred-year-old wells and century-old houses in the An Tan and An Don coastal villages have been kept until now (Photo: Ngoc Ha)

The project idea was initiated by local famous photographer Nguyen Van My, also known as My Dung.

Experiencing the vicissitudes of the history, especially under the impacts of the urbanisation, the An Tan and An Don coastal villages in Son Tra District still keep intact some of the special architectural characteristics of traditional Vietnamese villages.

Such interesting features include communal houses, old wells, winding pathways, banyan trees, temples, and multi-hundred-year-old houses, plus the lifestyles of local fishermen.  

Under the project, the two above-mentioned villages, covering a total area of about 5.2ha, will be kept unchanged.

The focus will be on upgradding traffic infrastructure, naming alleys, ensuring environmental sanitation, constructing drainage systems, and promoting fine arts decorations, especially arrangement arts, there.

Initial work will start on re-checking the existing houses, the cultural and historical relic sites in the villages, as well as their distinctive cultural identities and the lifestyles of their villagers.

Ms Vo Thi Phuong, the Head of the Son Tra District Culture and Information Office, said the deployment of the project will be divided into 2 stages, with the emphasis on ensuring the harmonious combination between the essence of the traditional culture and modernity.

She remarked the preservation work would help to preserve the traditional Vietnamese coastal culture, diversify local tourism products, and enhance the living conditions and livelihoods of residents living there as well.

In his remarks, Mr Tran Chi Cuong, the Deputy Director of the municipal Tourism Department highly applauded the project for its important role in creating a chain of tourism products, and connecting with the Tran Hung Dao and Ngo Quyen streets.

Ms Hoang Thi The, 60, a local inhabitant voiced her strong support for the project which is expected to turn the 2 coastal villages into new local attractions for both residents and visitors.

Appeals for public investment to deploy the project are being made.

By late this year, a total of 800m of internal roads in the villages will have been built.

Hopefully, once the project is completed, visitors from both home and abroad will have a chance to experience moments of comfort and relaxation as they learn about the daily lives of local fishermen.

Also, they will be able to enjoy the exciting atmosphere of coastal festivals in these fishing villages.