The site, also known as the Sacred Heart Church, is in Hai Tien Commune and is known for its surviving bell tower near the shoreline.
Local authorities identified 23 unauthorised structures along the Hai Tien coast, including 12 restaurants and food businesses concentrated around the church ruins. The remaining structures were mainly used for aquaculture.
Most businesses have agreed to dismantle or relocate the structures, according to Nguyen Minh Dinh, vice chairman of the Hai Tien Commune People's Committee.
Businesses around the site were using cranes and other equipment to remove signs, steel frames, glass panels, tables and chairs. Some operators said the work was expected to be completed by September 30.
The original Hai Ly Church was built in 1877. Coastal erosion later forced it to be relocated about three kilometres inland. A larger church designed by a French architect was built at the current site from 1917 and completed in 1927.
The church covered 9,330 square metres and featured a 27-metre bell tower, a 15-metre-high cross arch and European-style architecture.
A major storm in 2005 severely damaged the Hai Tien coast, destroying an outer dyke, a fishing village and several coastal churches. Hai Ly was among the few structures to partially survive, with its bell tower, foundations and part of its northern wall remaining.
The weathered ruins have since become a popular tourist attraction.
Ninh Binh Province on September 15 recognised the site as a tourist destination associated with evidence of climate change and assigned Hai Tien Commune responsibility for its management and development.
Local authorities plan to improve the landscape around the bell tower while preserving the remaining structure. Work around the site is expected to be completed in 2026 as part of efforts to promote sustainable tourism.
