The Da Nang authorities have temporarily suspended the construction of a complex of at least 6 houses, featuring classical Chinese-style architectural designs, in Cam Le District’s Hoa Xuan Ward because there was no construction licence granted by the city authorities.

The small gateway into the warehouse

The complex was being illegally built within a 1.500m² warehouse at the intersection of Pham Hung and Hoang Dao Thanh streets.  The warehouse is surrounded by an over 10m-high and over 500m-long concrete wall, and it is covered by an aluminium roofing system.  There is only a small entrance gate to the warehouse.   The houses, featuring sloping roofs similar to ones built in China, have been built in the form of a ‘closed rectangle’, with the complex looking like a miniature ‘Chinatown’. 

The complex’s developer is the Lien Hop The Duy Co Ltd which is now headquartered at 61 Ngo Thi Nham in Lien Chieu District.  This company had rented the warehouse in order to build these houses but it had failed to obtain a licence for the construction work.  It is reported that work started on the complex over 3 month ago.

One of the houses inside

According to Vietmay Home, the owner of the warehouse, the lessee was supposed to be using the rented warehouse to open a showroom of Vietnamese tea and specialities. 

At the time of a recent surprise inspection by the ward authorities following a tip-off from local residents, a group of up to 6 Chinese nationals and a Vietnamese tour guide were present at the illegal construction site.  Most notably, one of the Chinese nationals held a passport featuring the image of China’s illegitimate ‘nine-dash line’ in the East Sea.  All the passports were temporarily seized by relevant local agencies for dealing with.

Another view inside the complex

The warehouse is now under close watch by the local authorities.  The ward’s police officers are currently charged with detecting and dealing with any further transport of construction materials onto the site.   

The Lien Hop Duy Co Ltd was asked to apply for a construction licence within the next 2 months.  If not, a strict punishment will be imposed on them in accordance with the national laws.