The Hanoi People’s Council has approved a programme to sell 600 French-style villas in the city. But how will these old works be managed after sale?

A French-style villa on Phan Dinh Phung Street, Hanoi.

A group called “Hanoi lovers” has done its own research about Hanoi in general and Hanoi’s old villas. Architect Phu Duc, a group member, has a collection of rare photos of old French-style villas in Hanoi. He said French-style villas have been mutilated.

According to the above programme, around 600 of the total 1,000 old villas in the capital will be sold. Among them are many villas bearing unique cultural and architectural values. Architect Phu Duc said purchasing old villas is actually buying land because old villas are located on nice sites of high economic value. The architect is worried that once these villas are sold, the new owners will tear them down to build new houses.

“The most important thing is controlling the use of old villas after they are sold, especially villas located in Hoan Kiem district,” Duc suggested.

Old villas are considered a part of Hanoi’s history so there needs to be a mechanism to manage old villas after they are sold.

VietNamNet/VTV