Some people believe that governments should protect cultural heritage. Because of this, it is sometimes suggested that all new buildings should be designed in traditional styles. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some people think that governments should protect cultural heritage by forcing all new buildings to be built in traditional styles. I disagree with this idea. Although protecting heritage is important, forcing every new building to copy old styles would stop creativity and could make heritage towns feel fake.有些人认为,政府应该通过强制要求所有新建筑都采用传统风格来保护文化遗产。我不同意这种看法。尽管保护遗产很重要,但强迫每一栋新建筑都模仿旧式风格,会扼杀创造力,还可能让遗产小镇显得虚假。

Firstly, only using traditional styles for new buildings can create a false copy of the past instead of real cultural continuity. Culture is not something fixed; it changes over time. In Hoi An's old quarter, for example, strict rules force every new shop to look like a century-old yellow building with a tiled roof. But some of these 'old-looking' buildings are actually just souvenir shops with no real connection to the families and trades that used to live there. This turns tradition into decoration instead of something people actually live.首先,新建筑只使用传统风格,可能造成一种虚假的过去复制品,而不是真正的文化延续。文化并非一成不变的东西,它会随时间演变。例如,在会安古镇,严格的规定要求每一家新店铺都要模仿百年老屋的黄墙和瓦顶。但这些'看起来很古老'的建筑,有些其实只是纪念品商店,与曾经居住于此的家庭和行业并没有真正的联系。这样一来,传统就变成了装饰,而不是人们真正在生活中延续的东西。

Secondly, heritage can be protected better by making it interesting for people today, not by making every building look the same. During Tet, I took my parents to see a modern cai luong show that mixed a classical folk story with a live band, LED lights, and English subtitles for younger viewers. I expected only older people to enjoy it, but the theatre was almost full, and many university students were there too, filming the ending on their phones. This showed me that traditional art can succeed by becoming more modern and exciting, not by staying exactly the same.其次,更好的遗产保护方式,是让遗产对当代人来说变得有趣,而不是让每栋建筑都长得一模一样。春节期间,我带父母去看了一场现代改良版的改良戏,这场演出把古典民间故事与现场乐队、LED灯光结合起来,还为年轻观众加了英文字幕。我原本以为只有老年人会喜欢,但剧院几乎座无虚席,还有很多大学生在场,用手机拍摄结尾的场景。这让我明白,传统艺术要想成功,靠的是变得更现代、更有吸引力,而不是原封不动地保持不变。

In conclusion, protecting cultural heritage is important, but forcing all new buildings to look traditional is not a good solution. A better way is to allow new, creative designs that are inspired by the past instead of just copying it.总之,保护文化遗产固然重要,但强迫所有新建筑都采用传统外观并不是一个好办法。更好的方式是,允许受过去启发但不只是照搬过去的新颖、有创意的设计。

Some people argue that governments should protect cultural heritage by requiring all new buildings to be designed in traditional styles. I disagree with this view. While protecting heritage is clearly important, mandating traditional architecture for every new construction would limit creativity and risk turning living heritage towns into something artificial.有些人认为,政府应该通过要求所有新建筑都采用传统风格来保护文化遗产。我不同意这种观点。虽然保护遗产显然很重要,但强制要求每一处新建筑都采用传统建筑风格,会限制创造力,并有可能让充满生活气息的遗产小镇变得人工化。

Firstly, relying only on traditional styles for new buildings often creates a superficial copy of the past rather than genuine cultural continuity. Culture is not fixed but constantly evolving, and its vitality comes from reinterpretation rather than repetition. In Hoi An's protected old quarter, for instance, strict rules requiring every shopfront to imitate century-old yellow facades have sometimes produced buildings that look historic on the outside but house souvenir shops with little real connection to the trades and family life that originally shaped those houses. In this way, tradition risks becoming a decorative backdrop rather than something people genuinely live.首先,新建筑仅仅依赖传统风格,往往会造成对过去表面化的复制,而不是真正的文化延续。文化并非一成不变,而是在不断演变,其生命力来自于重新诠释,而非简单重复。例如,在会安受保护的古镇,严格规定要求每家店铺都要模仿百年老屋的黄色外墙,这有时会导致建筑外表看似古老,内里却是纪念品商店,与最初塑造这些房屋的行业和家庭生活几乎没有真正的联系。如此一来,传统就有沦为装饰性背景的风险,而不再是人们真正生活其中的东西。

Secondly, heritage is often preserved more effectively by making it engaging for modern audiences rather than by enforcing visual uniformity. During Tet, I took my parents to a modern cai luong performance that reworked a classical folk tale with a live band mixing traditional instruments with electronic music, LED projections, and subtitles for younger audience members. I expected mostly older viewers, but the theatre was nearly full, and several groups of university students sat near us, filming the closing scene on their phones. This experience showed me that a centuries-old art form can thrive by becoming more accessible and engaging, not by staying rigidly unchanged.其次,遗产往往可以通过让当代观众产生共鸣来更有效地得到保护,而不是靠强制统一的外观。春节期间,我带父母去看了一场现代改良戏演出,这场演出把古典民间故事重新演绎,现场乐队将传统乐器与电子音乐融合在一起,配有LED投影,还为年轻观众加了字幕。我原以为观众多是年长者,但剧院几乎座无虚席,好几组大学生就坐在我们附近,用手机拍摄结尾场景。这段经历让我明白,一门有几百年历史的艺术形式,能够通过变得更易于接近、更具吸引力而蓬勃发展,而不是靠一成不变地固守原样。

In conclusion, while protecting cultural heritage is a genuine responsibility for governments, forcing every new building to adopt traditional styles is an overly simple and counterproductive solution. A better strategy would encourage innovative designs that draw inspiration from the past rather than merely copying it.总之,尽管保护文化遗产确实是政府的责任,但强迫每一栋新建筑都采用传统风格,是一种过于简单且适得其反的解决方案。更好的策略应当是鼓励从过去汲取灵感、而非单纯照搬过去的创新设计。

The notion that governments should mandate every new building to be designed in a traditional style, ostensibly to safeguard cultural heritage, presents a compelling but ultimately misguided approach. While the imperative to protect and celebrate a nation's cultural legacy — vividly on display in places such as Hoi An's ancient town or Hanoi's Old Quarter — is undeniable, I largely disagree with the proposition that architectural innovation must be stifled in favour of uniform anachronisms.政府应强制要求所有新建筑都采用传统风格设计，以此来保护文化遗产——这种主张乍看颇具说服力，但实际上是一种误导性的思路。诚然，保护并弘扬一个国家的文化遗产——如会安古镇或河内老街所生动展现的那样——是不可否认的必要之举，但我在很大程度上不同意为了统一的、脱离时代的风格而必须扼杀建筑创新这一主张。

Primarily, an exclusive reliance on historical aesthetics for new buildings risks creating a superficial pastiche rather than fostering genuine cultural continuity. True cultural heritage is a living, evolving entity, not a static museum piece; its vitality stems from adaptation and contemporary interpretation. Within Hoi An's protected old quarter, for example, strict rules requiring every new shopfront to mimic century-old yellow façades and tiled roofs have, in some cases, produced buildings that look historic on the surface yet house souvenir shops and cafés with little connection to the trades and family life that originally shaped those houses, reducing tradition to a decorative backdrop rather than a living practice. This approach often overlooks the dynamic nature of cultural expression, which has historically always absorbed and reinterpreted new influences, from the French colonial touches woven into Hanoi's own streetscape to the trading-port fusion styles that made Hoi An distinctive in the first place.首先，若新建筑一味依赖历史美学，很可能只会制造出一种表面的拼贴，而非真正促进文化的延续。真正的文化遗产是一个鲜活的、不断演变的存在，而非静态的博物馆展品；它的生命力恰恰来自于适应与当代的重新诠释。以会安受保护的古镇区为例，严格规定每一家新店面都必须模仿百年黄墙瓦顶的做法，在某些情况下反而造就了一批表面古色古香、内里却是纪念品店或咖啡馆的建筑，它们与最初塑造这些房屋的行业和家庭生活几乎毫无关联，使传统沦为一种装饰性的背景，而非一种活的实践。这种做法往往忽视了文化表达本身的动态特性——从河内街景中融入的法国殖民风格元素，到造就会安独特风貌的通商口岸融合式建筑，历史上文化从来都是在不断吸收和重新诠释新影响中发展的。

Moreover, the most effective forms of cultural preservation often involve presenting heritage in ways that resonate with modern audiences, rather than forcing an artificial uniformity onto buildings and streetscapes. In my experience working in hospitality in Ho Chi Minh City, when my parents visited during Tet, I took them to a contemporary cai luong production that reworked a classical folk tale with modern staging: a live band blending traditional dan kim and dan tranh with electronic backing, LED projections behind the performers, and surtitles for the younger audience members who no longer follow every archaic verse. Initially I expected my parents to be the only ones truly moved, but the theatre was close to full, and I noticed several groups of university students seated near us, phones out to film the closing scene rather than to check messages. That evening showed me that a centuries-old art form can thrive not through rigid adherence to an antiquated setting, but by being made accessible and genuinely engaging to a broader, younger public. Such adaptive approaches are far more impactful than simply erecting new buildings that mimic bygone eras.此外，最有效的文化保护方式，往往在于用能与当代观众产生共鸣的方式来呈现遗产，而不是把一种人为的统一风格硬套在建筑和街景之上。在我于胡志明市从事酒店/餐饮行业工作期间，父母春节来探望时，我带他们去看了一场对经典民间故事进行现代化改编的改良版改良戏（cải lương）演出：现场乐队将传统的弹琴、筝乐与电子伴奏结合在一起，演员身后配有LED投影，还为已经跟不上古老唱词的年轻观众配上了字幕。起初我以为只有父母会真正被打动，但剧场几乎座无虚席，我注意到附近坐着好几群大学生，在结尾那场戏时纷纷举起手机录像，而不是低头看消息。那个晚上让我明白，一门有数百年历史的艺术形式，其复兴靠的不是僵硬地守着过时的形式，而是让它变得易于接近、真正能吸引更广泛、更年轻的观众。这种适应性的做法，远比单纯建造一批模仿过去时代的新建筑更具意义。

In conclusion, while the preservation of cultural heritage is a genuine governmental responsibility, imposing traditional architectural styles on all new developments is an overly simplistic and counterproductive solution. A more enlightened strategy would encourage innovative designs that reflect contemporary identity while drawing inspiration from, rather than merely replicating, the past.总之，保护文化遗产固然是政府应尽的责任，但要求所有新开发项目都采用传统建筑风格，是一种过于简单化、甚至适得其反的做法。更明智的策略，应当是鼓励那些能够体现当代身份认同的创新设计，从过去汲取灵感，而不是一味复制过去。