To this day, the ancient village of Nam O continues to preserve the ancient essence of a traditional Vietnamese coastal community. From daily life customs to architectural styles and the generations-old craft of making Nam O fish sauce, the village remains a living testament to a rich cultural heritage and deep historical roots. It is one of the rare traditional craft villages still preserved in Da Nang. For this reason, urban planning efforts are closely tied to the conservation and sustainable development of tourism in the village, ensuring a revitalized livelihood for its people while safeguarding its cultural legacy.

Foreign visitors explore the traditional craft village of Nam O, located at the heart of the Nam O area, where the development project is currently underway. Photo courtesy of the project unit.

The planning of the Nam O area has been a topic of discussion for many years, given its great potential for both the preservation of traditional craft villages and the development of maritime transport and the coastal economy. Located next to a stunning stretch of beach on the western edge of the city, Nam O holds significant advantages for sustainable growth. Mr. Bui Thanh Phu, owner of Huong Lang Co fish sauce business, expressed his deep commitment to the redevelopment of Nam O. He has actively participated in numerous community meetings and discussions organized by local neighborhood committees and various administrative levels, contributing his insights and recommendations.

"However, access to the ancient village is currently facing numerous obstacles," Mr. Phu shared. "The coastal embankment road, which runs along Nguyen Tat Thanh Street and extends to heritage sites such as the ancient Cham well and the traditional craft village, is blocked by fencing. Additionally, a separate 5-meter-long concrete road leading into the craft village is also inaccessible. The closure of these two routes has caused significant congestion, making it difficult to transport visitors, tourists, and students to the historical and cultural sites deeper within the village."

The residents of Nam O’s traditional fish sauce-making village, located in the core area of Nam O, strongly hope that the urban planning process will proceed on schedule without disrupting their production and business activities. Additionally, they emphasize the urgent need for a main road connecting Alley 884 on Nguyen Luong Bang Street to the center of the craft village. This would allow tour buses and visitors to access the village more conveniently. "The people of the ancient village rely on tourism for their livelihood, but with roads that are too narrow, development remains impossible," they expressed.

Moreover, expanding the roads would greatly improve our daily lives, especially in emergencies such as fires or sudden illnesses when ambulances struggle to access the village in time. For this reason, the people of Nam O’s ancient village have long hoped for and closely monitored the progress of the area's development plans.

As a resident of Nam O and someone directly affected by the area's development project, Mrs. Do Thi Lanh (67 years old, living in Alley 884, Nguyen Luong Bang Street) shared her joy as the project is now being implemented. She believes that once completed, the lives of Nam O’s residents will see significant improvements. The ancient Nam O fish sauce village, which has long remained somewhat isolated from urban life, will gradually integrate better with the modern rhythm of the city. As a result, tourism and business activities in the area will also become more professional and well-developed.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Vinh, Chairman of the Nam O Fish Sauce Village Association, shared that in recent years, thanks to the support of local authorities, the traditional Nam O fish sauce village has not only been preserved but has also flourished as a valuable coastal heritage. The village’s production and business activities are now closely tied to tourism development, ensuring strong market demand for locally made products. As a result, the livelihoods of local households have significantly improved.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Vinh expressed his joy as the Nam O village zoning project continues to progress. Alongside this, the Nam O Fish Sauce Village Association has submitted a proposal to relevant authorities, seeking official recognition of Nam O as a Traditional Craft Village. "Once acknowledged as a Traditional Craft Village, the scale and status of Nam O’s fish sauce-making heritage will be elevated. This will not only improve the livelihoods of local residents but also provide the necessary conditions to nurture future generations," Mr. Vinh shared.

Regarding the local authorities in Hoa Hiep Nam Ward, Mr. Pham Nam, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hoa Hiep Nam Ward (Lien Chieu District), stated that over the past two years, all concerns raised by residents regarding the Nam O zoning project have been thoroughly addressed. These include infrastructure improvements such as road expansion and the creation of pathways leading to the sea. Overall, the local community has shown strong support for the project.

According to the latest information from the Urban Management Department of Lien Chieu District, the static and general zoning plans, approved by the Prime Minister in 2023 and 2021, designate the area as residential land. The detailed zoning plan for the coastal area of Da Nang Bay, with a scale of 1/2000, was approved by the Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee under Decision No. 1027/QĐ-UBND on May 18, 2024, confirming the area's designation as residential land. As part of this plan, there is a proposed expansion of two key roads: the first being Alley 884 on Nguyen Luong Bang Street and the second running parallel to the North-South railway line.

In terms of investment efforts, over the past years, the People's Committee of Lien Chieu District has allocated funds to upgrade technical infrastructure, including the renovation of drainage systems, street lighting, and concrete roads. Currently, following the development direction for the ancient Nam O craft village, the district aims to improve transportation infrastructure to better serve local residents while preserving key characteristics of the traditional village. To support this, the district has proposed allocating funds for investment preparation in 2025. Accordingly, the District Construction Investment Project Management Board is currently conducting studies and preparing investment documents focused on upgrading concrete roads and expanding key routes in alignment with the zoning plan.

Reporting by KHANH HOA - Translating by HONG VAN