The ceremony to launch the conservation works on the old villa was held on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Tùng

HÀ NỘI — The People’s Committee of Hoàn Kiếm District in Hà Nội coordinated with authorities of France’s Ile-de-France region to hold a ceremony on Wednesday to start a project conserving a French-era villa.

The building is at 49 Trần Hưng Đạo Street – 46 Hàng Bài Street, in the city's downtown.

Attending were Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic in Việt Nam Nicolas Warnery, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoàng Đạo Cương, and Chairman of the Hà Nội People's Council Nguyễn Ngọc Tuấn.

Chairman of the district People’s Committee Phạm Tuấn Long said the conservation of the villa was part of a joint project on conserving the former French Quarter in Hà Nội implemented by Hà Nội and the Ile-de-France region since 2007.

The villa will be restored to keep the maximum original items using both conventional and modern technical solutions.

Following the restoration, the villa will be used as a cultural exchange centre in line with the city’s strategy of conserving and promoting urban heritage sites, Long said.  

With its new function, the villa is expected to become a tourist attraction, where visitors can explore the formation of the so-called French Quarter, as well as the influence and intermingling between the Vietnamese and French culture not only in terms of architecture and lifestyle through the first half of the 20th century. 

The French-era building will be an ideal place to hold promotional events for Việt Nam-France trade and economic cooperation.

Hà Nội has a rich urban heritage, with the Thăng Long ancient citadel, the Old Quarter and the former French Quarter.

Among them, the former French Quarter has its own charm with tree-lined wide streets and French-style villas that gives Hà Nội a unique feel like nowhere else in East Asia. — VNS