The capital of Vietnam is a city with interesting medieval and colonial buildings. Buddhist temples on the shores of numerous lakes, villas, theaters and cafes, built during the French rule, create the unique look of the city, known as one of the most beautiful cities in Asia. 2010 will celebrate the millennium of Hanoi, but right now its rich history, embodied in its architecture, may gradually disappear. In 1960, 644 thousand inhabitants lived there; in 1976 - 1.5 million; now - more than 3 million. Such an incredible growth rate turned out to be too great a burden for the city. The narrow streets of the Old Quarter, consisting of 36 “settlements” inhabited by 36 craftsmen, and the shady boulevards of the New Town, with mansions from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, demonstrating a mixture of European styles with elements of local architecture, retreat under the onslaught of bulldozers. Thousands of motorcycles and scooters, as well as cars, have replaced silent and environmentally friendly bicycles on the streets of Hanoi, resulting in endless traffic jams and pollution. Faceless skyscrapers are replacing traditional neighborhoods of two-story houses, where residents lived on the streets: for example, the South Korean development company Keangnam group began construction of a 70-story tower with a budget of $ 1 billion last month. By 2010, it will be the tallest building in the country. Since the beginning of this year, the city council has approved 197 projects of new hotels, office and residential buildings worth $ 918 million.
UNESCO specialists are concerned about the disappearance of not only historical buildings, but also the old way of life, which carries no less cultural significance. Despite the existence of a new master plan for Hanoi, which provides for the construction of new commercial and residential areas only on the outskirts of the city, the future of the central districts is bleak for them.
Representatives of the World Bank note the lack of coordination between the actions of the construction industry institutions and the vicious practice of approving projects by the central authorities without any participation of municipal councils and even more so residents.
Therefore, ahead of the monuments of Hanoi architecture - from small craft workshops, which have practically not changed over the past 1000 years, to palaces in the spirit of eclecticism and art deco - may await a fate typical for large cities in East Asia: a rapid disappearance among high-rise buildings of increased density …
