Study on Methods of Conservation and Regeneration of the Historical
Water System in a Shanshui City
- Case Study of Old Town Planning in Hue, Vietnam –Susumu Kawahara1 and Naoaki Furukawa2 and Shigeru Satoh3__________________________________________________________________________

1.0

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background And Purpose
Many historical cities in East Asia were planned in line with the concepts of feng-shui, seeking toharmonize with their surrounding natural ecosystem. These cities, commonly called as “shanshui
cities” (literally mountain and water cities), all shared a major characteristic—that is, each had a water
system from the rivers flowing through the city itself. Such historical water systems were the productsof environmental control technologies cultivated by each city, along the historical steps, and graduallycontribute to the cities’ charms and attractiveness.
However, due to the rapid trend moving toward modern urbanization, quite a few of these cities in
East Asia are facing serious challenges or even intimidations regarding their living environment.
Confronted by sanitation issues stemming from an over-burdened water system, some cities are
already struggling to install the water and sewage system with modern technology that would allow
them to treat domestic wastewater more appropriately (or perhaps only more efficiently). Strongpressures for further regional development are also bearing down on these cities.
Against this backdrop, issues like conservation and regeneration of the historical water system, ordeveloping the methods and techniques that suit the purposes of restoring the historical/social
environment of each city, all add up to the major theme—the conservation of historical cities in EastAsia.
The old town of Hue, Vietnam, is one of those historical cities discussed above. The Research Institute,an organization recognized with reputation for its experiences in implementing various studies about
the old town of Hue [1], was invited by UNESCO [2], and the Institute’s researchers, the writers of
this paper, are working to prepare guidelines for considerations in implementing a project to improve
the water environment of the old town [3].
In this paper, the historical water system in the old town of Hue is discussed in three parts; first, thecharacteristics of the water system are defined; second, the value of the existing water system, if any
possibility of enhancing the living environment for regional amenities is there, is assessed; and lastly,

1
Susumu Kawahara, Associate Professor, Dept. of Tourism Science, Graduate Schools of Urban Environmental Sciences, Tokyo
Metropolitan University, Japan
2

Naoaki Furukawa, Research Associate, Dept. of Architecture, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Japan

3

Shigeru Satoh, Professor, Dept. of Architecture, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Japan1

Case Study Of Old Town Planning In Hue, Vietnam
the features of the water system’s conservation and regeneration guidelines is thus clarified from theabove investigations.
1.2 Overview Of Hue
The old town of Hue, being selected as the case in this study, is a citadel city, as the capital of the
Nguyen Dynasty (1802 – 1945), the last unified dynasty in Vietnam. It was inscribed on the List of
UNESCO World Heritage in 1993 as the “Complex of Hue Monuments,” and the citadel city has been
well known for its rampart, royal buildings, imperial tombs and other historical architectures built
along the Huong River during the Nguyen Dynasty. A Royal Canal and a group of lakes, small andlarge, were planned inside the old town of the citadel city. The plans of the entire city, ranging from its
urban infrastructures to traditional houses, were systematically designed to display a rich water
environment according to the feng-shui concept. The water environment was also a creative solution
to tolerating the heavy rainfalls unique to monsoon regions during the rainy season and the abovefloor-level flooding that comes several times per year.
After the fall of the Nguyen Dynasty, however, the urban functions of Hue changed; the old town was
no longer an administrative center but a living city, and, subsequently, the Vietnam War and post-war
housing congestion brought serious damages to the entire environmental framework, very regrettably
including the historical urban infrastructures and the water system within the citadel city.
In the past, a large-scaled flood used to occur about once every fifty years, but since 1993, the large
flood has been coming almost every three years. The citadel city has even suffered from a flooding of
more than 2 meters in recent years. These frequent floods are the outcome of abnormal weather
conditions from global warming and excessive deforestation in the upstream of the Huong River.
Nevertheless, these floods might just as well be attributed to the incapability of the above-mentioned
historical water system. The water system of the citadel city, conservation and regeneration, istherefore a pressing challenge and an issue of urban environmental development.
Under such circumstance, a project of water environmental improvement centering mainly on
sewerage development is being planned in the old town. However, to ensure that the project would not
damage the historical environment of the old town whatsoever, detailed project guidelines were
demanded to be formulated.
1.3 Study Procedure
In this study, our researchers (henceforth, we) implemented five steps below, dating from April toAugust 2007, with the cooperation of Hue Monuments Conservation Center (HMCC) in Vietnam.
1) Investigation of the actual state of the historical water system (visual observations of theinterrelationship and damage conditions of existing water channels and flood gates, and the state ofdrainage during rainfall)2) Information gathering on the historical water system through a search of bibliographic sources andinterviews at the Documents and Historical Research Department of HMCC and historical museums
3) Acquisition of construction diagrams and plan drawings from the Hue Urban Environment andPublic Works State Limited Company (HEPCO), and interviews and analyses regarding thosematerials
4) Partial excavation of water channel and canal revetments

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Case Study Of Old Town Planning In Hue, Vietnam
5) Interviews of local residents on their usage of water channels and the condition of the channels
during floods
The guidelines were done and prepared by the Institute of UNESCO World Heritage – Waseda
University in consultation with the Documents and Historical Research Department and Technical
Department (conservation, development and management division) of HMCC.
2.0

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HISTORICAL WATER SYSTEM

2.1 Water Resources And Architectures that Composed the Historical Water System
A new finding from our survey isthat the historical water system
inside the walls of the old town arecomposed of the following ten types
of water resources and buildings:(1) lakes in the Royal Palace, (2)Inner Moat, (3) Lakes in blocks, (4)Royal Canal (a large canal about 70– 100m wide), (5) Defensive Moats,(6) Defensive Rivers (tributaries ofthe Huong River), (7) Huong River,(8) culverts and sluices, (9) “Sidegreens,” or the traditional ditches
for drainage along the sides of theroad between rows of residences,and (10) East and West Water Gates
and two small water gates.
In the historical water system, water
resources (1) to (7) are mutuallyconnected by water channels (8)and (9), and the connections arecontrolled by (10) (Figure 1).

Figure 1: The Water Resources and Architectures that Composed the Historical
Water System

2.2 Three Characteristic Features Of The Historical Water System
Also, as a discovery from our survey, we were able to ascertain that the historical water system of the
Old Town had three main functions and roles: drainage of rainwater and sewage (domestic
wastewater), water transportation control, and landscaping. An overview of each function is provided
below.
1) Rainwater And Sewage Drainage
Based on the present flow of water and the structures of existing flood gates and buildings, we assume
that the historical water system served to drain rainwater and sewage from the citadel city in the3Case Study Of Old Town Planning In Hue, Vietnam
following manner. First, rainwater from the royal palace, housing lots, and road spaces inside thecitadel city, and wastewater from homes quickly flowed into ponds (3) which served as collecting
basins via the Huong River (7) andculverts and sluices (8). Water fromthose ponds was channeled to theRoyal Canal (4) via water channels
and drained to the Huong River (7)through the defensive moat (5) andtributaries of the Huong River (6).
These water routes were realized bydifferences in water levels (Figure 2).
We also examined the structures ofcastle gate and East and West Water
Gate openings in the citadel city, andfound that even if the gates wererebuilt as they originally existed,
there is no structure for preventing
external water from flowing into thecitadel city. Since the city would
most certainly suffer heavy rainfalls
almost every year, we may say thatthe water system built in the old days
inside the wall city of Hue would
inevitably take and tolerate a certain
degree of above-floor inundation andemphasis were laid to be able tosubside the floods promptly andefficiently.
Figure 2: The Structure of Historical Drainage in the Citadel city—Hue

2) Water Transportation Control
Historical literatures note that during the Nguyen Dynasty, the Royal Canal, lakes, and the water
channels connecting them all together, were used for transporting goods by boat and as a means forleisure transportation by the Imperial Family. In a field survey, we found a kind of stone structure thatwas very likely designed to hang wood doors, and these stone structures were built both on the Eastand West Water Gates that were constructed for the Royal Canal to penetrate the east-west rampartand on two small water gates by which the Royal Canal and the Lakes in the city were linked. The
door of the East Water Gate and West Water Gate appears to have been raised and lowered using afixed pulley, and the doors of the small water gates appear to have double doors. These vestiges
indicate that the historical water system functioned as the goods transportation and the entry of thelakes for boating pleasure enjoyed by the Imperial Family.
3) Landscape Formation
Water resources and buildings with respect to habitation, administration, and traveling by the Imperial
Family, including part of the Royal Canal, lakes inside the royal palace, and lakes in the vicinity of theImperial Family’s leisure destinations, mostly formed an open water environment surrounded by amasonry bank. These segments of the water system not only provided a revetment, but were designedwith a conscious awareness of creating natural scenery. For example, they were designed so thatmountains and structures, which are considered important aspects of urban planning according to thegeographic concepts of feng-shui, were positioned along the extension of the water channels andcanals. In other words, the historical water system had a function of creating a landscape based on thesystematic concepts of feng-shui.

4Case Study Of Old Town Planning In Hue, Vietnam
In sum, the three functions described above were brought together to compose the historical water
system of the Old Town.
3.0
TRANSFORMATIONURBANIZATION

OF

THE

HISTORICAL

WATER

SYSTEM

AFTER

In our survey, we noticed that the damages from repeated wars and subsequent population influx, andthe expansion of housing land, had significantly changed the functions and roles of the historical water
system described in the previous section. Three major changes are as follows.
1) Weakening Of The Rainwater And Sewage Drainage Function
To begin with, mud and sand for many years have accumulated in the Royal Canal and the tributariesof the Huong River, which provided the main channels of sewage flows in the old town. Thisaccumulation has affected the flowing rate and flowing velocity of the water channels, and has
significantly impaired the drainage function in the citadel city. In order to allow the historical water
system to drain the rainwater out of the citadel city via the Royal Canal, it is foremost necessary todredge the deposited mud and sand.
The historical sidegreens and sluices, which composed the lower end of sewage facilities in thehistorical water system, were replaced after the Vietnam War by a construction system of modern
roadside culverts. Today, almost 70% of the water channels leading to the collecting basins in the city
have been improved. However, even though improvements in certain areas have been made, rainwaterfrom housing lots do not necessarily flow smoothly through the modern sewage facilities, and roads
become submerged in places during daily squalls, due to large volumes of rainwater flowing into thesewage system all at once. Moreover, private construction activities accompanying urbanization are
also impeding the water flow in areas where historical sidegreens and sluices still exist. Domestic
wastewater is also discharged into these sidegreens and sluices. Under such circumstance, there iscases found in many areas where water channels from housing lots are connect either with thehistorical water system or with modern sewage facilities.
Furthermore, it is assumed that the segmentalization of large traditional residential land that included
agricultural fields and green spaces and their conversion to general housing lots have undermined therainwater absorption capacity of the land and its capacity to temporarily retain water.
2) Disuse Of The Water Transportation Control Function
Today, goods are no longer transported by vessels from the periphery of the citadel to the old town,
and boating pleasure trips in the lakes by the Imperial Family have disappeared since the end of the
Nguyen Dynasty. And also, after the Vietnam War, it is no longer necessary preventing any entry of
external, hostile forces from getting in the citadel. The function to control the water transportation byusing Water Gates and small water gates thus become completely unnecessary; the gates thencollapsed and left abandoned to be in a state of ruin. However, as the local residents today wish to
travel along the Huong Rive by boats and to grow vegetables on the surface of the banks of Royal
Canal, the water transportation culture, still, may be pleasantly observed today.
3) Degradation Of The Landscape Function Observed In The Collapse Of Masonry Banks
Water resources with masonry banks, the lakes and the Royal Canal for instances, still play importantroles in the making beautiful landscape today; yet a significant part of the masonry banks have either
collapsed or now lie buried in dirt. Furthermore, many waterside areas are illegally occupied byprivate residences, and the local government has been actively promoting the relocation of those
occupants under a resettlement policy since 1992. Even the waters are being used to grow water
spinach, sedimentation areas are being converted to agricultural fields, and most places along thewater resources are otherwise being transformed into living environments.

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Case Study Of Old Town Planning In Hue, Vietnam
4.0
MULTILATERAL ASSESSMENT OF THE VALUE OF THE HISTORICAL WATERSYSTEM
When attempting to conserve and restore the historical water system of the Old Town of Hue, which
has undergone a transformation into a living city, it is necessary to assess not only the functional
aspects and historical significance of the system, but also its modern values from diverse perspectives
including awareness-raising of local residents, regional promotion, and tourism, in consideration of theregional environment and social circumstances today, as described in the previous chapter. Therefore,
in this chapter, we present methods of assessing the values of the water resources and buildings thatcompose the historical water system in the Old Town, mentioned in section 2-1. This task is necessary
for assessing the significance and priority of implementing conservation and restoration projects
relating to these water resources and buildings. It also provides a basis for selecting targets anddeciding on the content of the guidelines.
The significance and priority of implementing conservation and restoration projects have beenassessed for each water resource and building based on the following five indicators (Table 1).

Table 1: a partial list covering the value of the multilateral assessment of the rehabilitation subjects

1) The values of the three characteristics and functions of the historical water system described in
section 2-2 (rainwater and sewage drainage, water transportation control, and landscape formation)
were assessed from the three perspectives below, assuming they are to be conserved and restored
under the existing conditions of the region.
•••

Functional assessment: Assessment of the priority of restoring the functional aspects, such as
the drainage function
Historical assessment: Assessment of the historical value of the water system and buildings
Assessment of tourism values: Assessment of impacts on tourism and benefits for tourists

2) The possibility and danger of the collapsing of water resources and buildings were analyzed, andthe urgency of their restoration was assessed.
3) The significance of candidate projects was assessed in terms of their effectiveness in teaching andraising awareness of the significance of the water environment. I.e., the projects were evaluated by
how well the could promote an understanding of the significance of the water environment to theresidents and tourists, including for example, whether they could be a model project for architecturalactivities in private sites.
4) Candidate projects were assessed in terms of the appropriateness of their implementation within theframework of the sewage improvement and restoration project implemented by Japan’s ODA.
5) Candidate projects were evaluated with respect to the value of the entire ecological system of the
Huong River Basin in Hue, by assessing their relationship to the eight basic policies concerning urban
and regional environmental conservation (Table 2) [4], which were agreed on by local administrative

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Case Study Of Old Town Planning In Hue, Vietnam
authorities at the International Symposium on Historic Urban & Rural Environment Conservation in
the Huong River Valley Region held in August 2005 [5].
Table 2: Eight basic policies proposed for the conservation and the environmental regeneration of Hue and the basin of Huong River.
1/8: Conserving a unique city structure of Hue.
Planned by the order of natural ecology according to the Feng Shui methodology, the conservation and regeneration are proposed for theamenities of Hue, the city’s surrounding mountains, the parallel Huong River and the river basin.
2/8: Conserving unique ecological system in Hue.
The aim is to reconstruct the water systems of Hue and its region for reviving the ecological system of the Huong basin.
3/8: Updating a traditional technologies for developing Hue with appropriate technologies.
To preserve and revive the local techniques found in history and then apply these techniques for the ecological-friendly environments as
the foundation of the amenities of the cities, villages and regions.
4/8: Creating an ecological and safe transportation system.
It is needed to prepare a strategy in the system of traffic management for environmental friendly and pedestrian-oriented Huong Riverregions.
5/8: Establishing a guideline of historic cultures and landscapes.
To preserve the historical scenes and landscape from absorbing the historical heritages, it aims to offer the Huong basin an environment
harmonious to its natural ecology.
6/8: Conserving traditional life styles and building types for improving historical areas.
The styles of modern dwelling spaces are to be the prolongation from becoming accustomed to the environmental order and accepting thehistorical and cultural heritages.
7/8: Keeping a compact city form for attaining a sustainable development of Hue.
The compact-scaled towns are respected and built along the Huong river basin, basing upon a proper scale and amount of production,
circulation and consumption, to avoid ambitious, disordering sprawling of town expansion.
8/8: Developing sustainable tourism system for enabling Hue residents/tourists to enjoy all resources in Hue.
Considering the prolongation of Tourism, a Historical-Eco Museum shall be considered with the programs of environmental education
including history of the traditional villages.

5.0
STRUCTURE AND FEATURES OF THE GUIDELINES FOR CONSERVATION AND
RESTORATION OF THE WATER SYSTEM
5.1 Status Of The Guidelines
In this chapter, we will present the structure and features of the conservation and restoration guidelinesof the historical water system that we have formulated based on the state of the existing system andmodern assessment perspectives discussed in the previous chapters.
The guidelines adopt the above-mentioned eight basic policies concerning urban and regional
environmental conservation, as a means for the realistic achievement of urban development.
5.2 Basic Structure and Purpose of the Guidelines
The basic structure of the “Hue Water Environment Conservation and Restoration Guidelines” isdivided into two parts. First, it defines the value of the historical water system in the Old Town of Hueand provides environmental standards that should be achieved when conserving and restoring thesystem. Second, it presents measures for achieving those standards and provides technical proposals(manual). Rather than specifying technical methods only, it begins by discussing the environmental
values of the system and target standards using both pictures and words, in order to ensure that thebest conservation and improvement methods are adopted in flexible consideration of technical,
financial, and legal constraints in the developing country.
More specifically, the guidelines identify ten items (main items) for sewage improvement andrestoration of the historical water system using modern technologies (Table 2). They include an itemon the basic policy concerning sewage improvement in the Old Town as a whole; eight items for eachof the components of the water system that drain rainwater and sewage from within the royal palace,
housing lots and road spaces  culverts and Side-greens  lakes inside the citadel (collecting basins)
 culverts and Side-greens  Royal Canal (main wastewater drainage in the citadel)  defensive

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Case Study Of Old Town Planning In Hue, Vietnam
moat  Huong River; and an item concerning the conservation of rainwater absorption spaces withinhousing lots.
Each of the ten main items are supplemented by two to six detailed items and presented on a single
A4-size page or a spread of two A4 pages (Figure 3). Their main policies can be summarized asfollows.
a) Dredging of the defensive moat,
Royal Canal and lakes inside thecitadel, and regeneration of thedrainage function and landscape inside
the citadel through the restoration ofhistorical revetmentsb) Regeneration of the functions andlandscape of water channels and floodgates connecting the above-mentioned
water resourcesc) Conservation and regeneration ofhistorical road spaces by integrating
the historical water system (Sidegreens) and modern drainage systemusing appropriate technologies

Figure 3: the presentation and application of each sub-items proposed in the 10
guidelinesd) Elimination of unlawful occupationof water spaces by buildings and agricultural fields, in principle, and their conversion to land for
public usee) Conservation and restoration of rainwater absorption spaces in housing lots modeled after historicalhousesf) Technical construction methods and considerations concerning public and private construction
works designed to achieve the above items
The policies of the guidelines have been adjusted in response to exchanges of views held with therepresentatives of relevant local administrative authorities during the survey period, and have been
finalized following repeated revisions until approval was obtained by all local parties.
5.3 Features of the Guidelines
Below are some salient features of the guidelines that have been considered when establishing theabove policies.
1) Provision of Wide-Ranging Alternative Proposals
A number of alternative proposals are provided under each main item, to achieve the spatial image
recommended by the guidelines. This is also to allow for flexible responses to technical, financial, andlegal constraints, as mentioned earlier, as well as to promote the effectiveness of the guidelines andprovide seeds for discussion of management methods among diverse stakeholders, including theVietnamese central government, local businesses, and Hue Monuments Conservation Center.
2) Utilization of Appropriate Technologies
The alternative proposals do not simply aim at regenerating historical buildings and improving the
sewage system and other urban infrastructures of the historical water system in the Old Town of Hue

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Case Study Of Old Town Planning In Hue, Vietnam
based on modern technologies. They respect the environmental control and landscape formation
technologies that have supported the three original functions of the historical water system, andpropose to make them visible. This means the water system must be conserved, improved, andmanaged using technologies appropriate to a shanshui city that has long coexisted in harmony with its
surrounding environment.
For example, in monsoon regions that receive heavy rainfall in a short period of time, a large-capacity
wastewater culvert would need to be constructed, if the rainwater is to be drained all at once. However,through its long history of experience, the historical water system in Hue controls local inundations
caused by the surge of water from concentrated downpours by gradually draining the water that is
temporarily collected in ponds in housing lots, Side-greens, and lakes located in each district. In recent
residential development projects in developed countries such as Japan, measures are often taken sothat regulating ponds that temporarily collect rainwater can normally be used as parking lots and parks.
However, in the historical water system in Hue, green belts in the city had served the same role, andtherefore should be conserved with respect to this function.
3) Considerations for the Living Landscape
The guidelines also place certain value on the landscape that has evolved from the temporal and spatialaccumulation of waterside lifestyles led by the residents of Hue since the transformation of the citadel
city of Hue from an administrative city to a living city, and propose to conserve and develop thatlandscape as an alternative proposal.
This type of landscape, which expresses the long, accumulated history of the lifestyles of the people ina given area, is regarded by recent landscape studies in Japan as having significant value, and is called“living landscape” [6].
In Hue, the living landscape that has emerged from its unique water environment has become theoriginal landscape to the residents of Hue. To tourists from the Western countries, the scene of the
Hue people’s lifestyles, where historical buildings blend in with the natural environment, tend to be acommon source of attraction [7]. Therefore we included considerations for the living landscape of Hue
in the guidelines also from the standpoint of regional promotion through tourism.
5.4 Authenticity
Some of the above concepts relate to the issue of authenticity that frequently arises in reference to theconservation and restoration of cities and buildings designated as a world heritage. Generally, such
heritages are to be either completely restored to their original appearance or preserved in their existingstate, in principle. However, we have included the concept of a landscape derived from the lifestyles
of local residents among the alternative proposals of the guidelines, because it can be interpreted as animportant cultural asset.
The following chapter provides details regarding this issue.
6.0
GUIDELINES PERTAINING TO APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGIES AND THE
LIVING LANDSCAPE
6.1 Guidelines for Conservation and Restoration of The Functions and Landscape of HistoricalSide-greens
Guideline No.9 proposes conservation and restoration methods for historical Side-greens in the areathat used to be a government office district during the Nguyen Dynasty. In this area, there are Sidegreens along the vehicular road today. Advanced residential land development projects in the UnitedStates and other developed countries systematically create such green zones in order to reduce9Case Study Of Old Town Planning In Hue, Vietnam
wastewater burden on rivers that increases temporarily but rapidly as a result of urbanization, as wellas to create a verdant roadside landscape. However, such characteristics and functions had alreadyexisted in the Old Town of Hue, owing to originally developed “appropriate technologies.” Based on
this understanding, and in consideration of the fact that historical Side-greens in the Old Town are
gradually disappearing in conjunction with urbanization and the development of modern sewage
systems and roads, proposals for their conservation and restoration were included in the guidelines. A
proposal of reviving the traditional “Side Greens” is to combine the traditional techniques with themodern construction techniques by separating ditches in the Side-greens for rainwater from sewerage
pipes, i.e. the rainwater-waste water pipes, under the roads in the event of a light rain, and bychanneling the overflow from the historical Side-greens to sewerage pipes under the roads in the eventof a heavy rain. （Viet Nam government generally maintains combined sewer system, i.e. rainwaterwaste water pips, around the country today.）
The proposals aim to restore the historical spatial composition and technologies of the Old Town andsimultaneously prevent contaminated domestic wastewater from emerging on the ground surface, as ispresently occurring due to urbanization activities. They also address the reduced capacity of housing
lots inside the citadel city to absorb and retain rainwater due to high-density housing development, by
providing measures for securing a high-volume drainage function (Figure 4).

Figure 4: a structure of the system for the rainwater and wastewater drainage regarding to the historical side-greens

6.2 Guidelines for Restoration of the Functions and Landscape of the Royal Canal andConservation of the Living Landscape
Guideline No.3 proposes conservation and restoration methods for the Royal Canal. In addition toproviding measures for restoration of the canal’s drainage and landscape formation functions, it also
provides alternative proposals for the partial conservation of the living landscape and sceneryproduced by the harmonious blending of man-made structures and the natural environment.

10Case Study Of Old Town Planning In Hue, Vietnam
From the perspective of theabove-mentioned concept ofauthenticity
andthesignificance of restoring thedrainage function of the Royal
Canal, the canal should
perhapsbethoroughly
dredged and rebuilt to restore
its original appearance, andthe cultivation of water
spinach and such should
perhapsbeprohibited.
However, the harmonious
landscapeof
historicalbuildings and the naturalenvironment
which
has
emerged from the vital energyof nature that is unique tomonsoon regions is also worth
conserving. So is the living
landscape created by theaccumulation of people’s
lifestyles along the canal.
Therefore, while providing athorough dredging plan as thebasic proposal, we have also
selected a strategic locationthat would offer a rich view of
Figure 5: a general rule for Restoration of the Functions and Landscape of the Royalnature and proposed to Canal and Alternative Proposalconserve,
in
part,
the
landscape of flood channel grasslands and water spinach cultivation that can be observed from thatlocation. Additionally, to that end, we have specified the utilization of modern technologies foranalyzing the flow of water and implementing earth retaining work to maintain the ecosystem of thesedimentation area that will not be dredged (Figure 5).

6.3 Guidelines for Regeneration of the Historical Water Transportation Function
Guideline No.5 pertains to the conservation and restoration of the collecting basins in the city andconnecting water channels. Based on the understanding that they were used for transporting goods byboat and as a means of leisurely travel by
the Imperial Family, the detailed items ofthe guidelines propose to restore the watertransportation system as a source of boat
tours for tourists, in addition to conserving
and restoring the flood gates that used tocontrol entries and exits. The experienceof a boat ride from the Huong River to theRoyal Canal, and to the lakes inside thecity through flood gates, might promote
tourism and a better understanding of
Hue’s water system(Figure 6).
Figure 6: a Vision of the alternative proposal to better the tunnel passage
for cruising tourism today

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Case Study Of Old Town Planning In Hue, Vietnam
When implementing the above, boat routes could be made more flexible by modifying the shape oftunnels under existing roads so that boats could pass. However, this would certainly alter the original
appearance of the water system. Whether or not to place priority on “restoring” the history of the watertransportation system used by the Imperial Family is an issue that is attracting diverse views within thelocal government and among researchers, and should therefore continue to be discussed in the future.
7.0

CONCLUSION

Above, in this paper we have reported on the methods and clarified the significance of restoring anurban system that coexists with nature, which is characteristic of historical cities in East Asia, while
improving the living environment as is demanded by modern cities, by analyzing plans for projects
designed to conserve and improve the water environment in the citadel city of Hue in Vietnam. The
guidelines formulated through the study regards the appearance of the harmonious coexistence of
man-made structures and nature, and the “living landscape” created by the lifestyles of its people, asvalues worthy of conservation, even if they are values that have transformed and emerged after the
initial construction of the city. As their greatest feature, the guidelines present a new concept to theissue of authenticity, which is one of the most important aspects of UNECO world heritages, byproposing principles that take into consideration the unique characteristics of the East Asian monsoon
region.
To ensure efficient operation of the guidelines, the establishment of a management committee
composed of members from relevant departments of the local government, academic experts, and
UNESCO, is being considered. Additionally, issues concerning the implementation of environmental
education and technical support to local residents and construction companies are planned to beaddressed in the future.

NOTES[1] These are surveys conducted by the Institute of UNESCO World Heritage – Waseda
University Comprehensive Research Institute and Waseda Institute of Urban and Regional Studies.
[2] The Institute of UNESCO World Heritage – Waseda University received a request fromthe UNESCO Hanoi Office in FY2007 to implement the “Study of the Historical Water
Environment in Hue, Vietnam.”[3] Refers to the SAPROF (Special Assistance for Project Formulation) study for the water
environment improvement project implemented by Japan Bank for International Cooperation(JBIC) in FY2007.
[4] The eight basic principles were presented in the “Huong River Basin Historical Eco
Museum Concept” prepared by the Waseda Institute of Urban and Regional Studies in April 2005.
[5] Refers to the International Symposium on Conservation of Historic Urban and Regional
Environment in Hue Area (Aug. 2005) held jointly by the Institute of UNESCO World Heritage –Waseda University and Hue Monuments Conservation Center.
[6] “Living landscape” is a landscape concept that has been discussed and assessed by theLandscape Subcommittee under the Research Committee on Urban Planning and Design of theArchitectural Institute of Japan, from 2000 to 2007.
[7] Based on the results of a questionnaire to participants of an experimental tour through the
Old Town on a cyclo (three-wheeled bicycle taxi), carried out under the “UNESCO World
Heritage Site of the Complex of Hue Monuments and Plans for Its Environmental Conservation,
Section 4: Inner-city Tourism” (2002 – 2006, Research Representative: Takeshi Nakagawa), a
project sponsored by the MEXT Program for Promoting Advancement of Academic Research at
Private Universities.

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