Manifestations of Spatial Practices in Living Heritage and Sustaining them Amidst the Pressures of Tourism: Insights from Lộc Yên Ancient Village in Rural Vietnam
Nguyễn Thị Bích Vân
Abstract
Nguyễn Thị Bích Vân
Abstract
Living heritage is not fixed and does not exist only in the past. They continue to interact with the daily lives of the local people and give rise to numerous spatial practices. In the process, cultural values are kept, adjusted, and renewed through everyday activities, while shared memories, and social relationships are nourished. The Lộc Yên Ancient Village in Da Nang City, Vietnam is a form of living heritage. It is a place that is always lived-in, changing and developing. In Lộc Yên, heritage is present not only in the ancient houses, gardens, and village layout, but also in the daily practices, habits, family traditions, and community life. Space is not only a physical setting. It is a place where people live, feel, and express their identity. This paper examines the ways in which the spatial practices manifest in the Lộc Yên Ancient Village in Rural Vietnam and sustain them against the pressures of Tourism bringing insights from its living heritage. The research uses observations and interviews with the inhabitants as research methods employing ideas from heritage studies, rural space studies, and cultural tourism. It focuses on the close connections between spaces, architecture, landscape, and daily cultural practices. It observed activities such as living, farming, meeting others, and practicing rituals which give meaning to spaces and keep heritage alive over time. The paper argues that Lộc Yên should not be seen as a preserved place separated from modern life. It concludes that Lộc Yên is a living system where people, space, and memory are closely connected. Cultural continuity enables heritage to continue living and growing in the new conditions of the presence of increasing tourism. It is suggested that conservation any efforts to sustain the authenticity of this place should focus not only on protecting buildings by conservation, but also on supporting the everyday life that keeps heritage meaningful in the present and the future.
Keywords:
Living heritage, spatial practices, cultural continuity, rural village, Lộc Yên ancient village, Vietnam.