Some people argue that there is no point in preserving old buildings when land is so valuable in our cities. Others believe that old buildings are an important part of our heritage and should be preserved. Discuss both these views and state your opinion.

Opinions are divided on whether old buildings should be preserved or demolished to make room for more accommodation or commercial developments. I believe that the decision depends on the special circumstances of each one. In areas where more housing is needed, many old structures are not worth keeping because they either lack interest

,

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or are dangerous. With regard to their historic

value

, many of them are not interesting architecturally or historically, nor are they unique in any way. Another reason for replacing them is that they may be dangerous, damp, or in other ways unsuitable for modern cities, and for

this

reason local people would benefit from new, purpose-built accommodation or other facilities. These new developments will be superior to the old ones they replaced. An additional benefit of building new accommodation is that in some cities, housing in the central areas is prohibitively expensive, so new constructions will reduce the living costs for ordinary people.

However

, even though many old buildings are of no

value

, as seen above, there are others that are worth preserving for their historic or architectural interest. A good example of

this

in Vietnam is the Royal Palace at Hue, which no one would dream of destroying because as well as being of great historic importance, it is

also

a magnet for tourists. Another important building

is

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Ho Chi Mình’s house in the

center

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of Hanoi.

This

,

although

it may not be important for its architecture, is of great

value

as a historical artefact for the local people. These structures should be preserved and maintained for their cultural

value

, regardless of the financial

value

of the land they lie on. In conclusion,

although

there are many buildings that must be kept for their cultural or historic

value

, others should be replaced by housing or other developments.