Heritage destruction has a long history in Vietnam

If you’ve taken a stroll around Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake, you’re likely to have encountered the Hoa Phong Tower (see photo), opposite the Post Office building. The small structure is all that remains of the Bao An pagoda, built by Vietnam’s Nguyen Dynasty rulers in the mid 19th century. The pagoda was huge and encompassed land where the Hanoi Post Office is currently located. Bao An was razed by the newly arrived French colonials in the late 1880s to make way for roads and public buildings in the area. It didn't even survive 50 years. Bao An was not the only major pagoda destroyed by the French in the course of their colonial mission. Another major structure, Bao Thien Pagoda, was relocated from what is now Nha Tho St, to make way for the construction of St Joseph’s Cathedral and the substantial Catholic Church buildings that run along Nha Chung St. Departing French soldiers are also said to have destroyed the iconic One Pillar Pagoda as they left their former colony, vanquished, after the battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Despite this history of heritage loss, the current attacks on Vietnam’s heritage, all self-inflicted, that stretch from the north to the south seem especially tragic. The losses include both indigenous structures like temples, pagodas and traditional houses, as well as grand French colonial era edifices. Heritage preservation is always a battle. And heritage doesn’t always deserve to win. But Vietnam’s current haemorrhaging of heritage is self-destructive. A sense of heritage is all but universally recognised as an important element in creating attractive and liveable cities. But Vietnam's wrecking ball rolls on.