Beautiful walking paths along the Huong River: Adding new vitality to Hue

Over thousands of years, today the Huong River flows into the heart of Hue, creating an elegant but no less romantic atmosphere. Above all, it is a public space that any Hue resident or visitor can visit to enjoy the value of tranquility and to breathe fresh air.

The embellishment and planning along the two banks of the Perfume River have always been methodically taken into account for sustainable development. The embellishment that is realized through the walking paths running under the rows of green trees which are the "green lungs" nourishing the soul of the city.

The walking path along the Huong River on the north bank runs parallel to Le Duan Street, passing through cool trees looking into the ancient heritage space. Local people and visitors can sit on the grass, chatting and laughing. “The space on both sides of the Perfume River is wonderful. The poetic river flowing through the urban heritage has always been impressive, but now the people of Hue have made this space more elegant and characteristic of Hue,” Mr. Tran Anh Sơn, 29 years old, a Hue native living in Ho Chi Minh City, spoke with a proud voice.

Having been to many places and seeing many beautiful scenes in the world, every time he returns to his motherland, Son would dedicate his afternoons to admire Hue by the Huong River, under the trees that he often called "the forest in the city”. He would sit there, looking upstream the Huong River until the rays of sunset gradually disappear beyond the mountains.

Early in the morning or late afternoon in this path, seniors, children, tourists ... can be found along the banks of the Huong River, having fun or exercising. Many families spread mats on the grass, overlooking the Huong River to admire the scenery. The scene is strangely peaceful. So, no matter how busy they get, many people still make time to come to this space to enjoy moments of relaxation and unwind from the chaos of work and life.

Previously, the section from Truong Tien Bridge to Phu Xuan Bridge had been invested, and this area had become spacious. However, the remaining areas seemed dark and unkempt, so people were hesitant to visit. In the past 2 years, everything has changed quickly, especially on the north bank of the Huong River, which has been beautifully renovated, creating harmony and honoring the beauty of Hue. Many compliments have been made for this path and for the way people have cherished and beautified the space in the heart of the city.

It is not until now that the government has devoted efforts to embellishing and protecting the landscape, creating public spaces for people on both sides of the Huong River. Since ancient times, when Hue was chosen as the capital for the construction of the citadel, the Nguyen dynasty had paid great attention to Feng Shui factors, the Huong River was strictly protected. When the French came, they constructed works along the southern bank of the Huong River and still kept the strip of land along the Huong River flowing through the urban center just to plant trees and grass.

Currently, the banks of the Huong River are public land. In the many plans for the future, the strips of land on both sides of the river are reserved only for parks, for the people and community. After the success of the two roads along the river extending from the city center to the Da Vien bridge, Hue City People's Committee is taking steps to implement the projects which will extend the path on the southern bank to Huyen Tran Cong Chua Street, and on the northern bank to Thien Mu Pagoda. The length of the two roads along the river is about 4 km long with an investment of about 120 billion on the south bank and 35 billion on the northern bank; in which, there include items such as constructing roads, investing in lighting systems combined with embellishment, rainwater drainage systems, railings, and planting additional trees, creating lawns…

Mr. Le Nhu Chinh, Director of Hue Green Park Center stated that the Huong River running through the city center with the system of green trees and lawns has given Hue a unique beauty, unlike other rivers in the world. Therefore, the process of renovating and embellishing roads along the Huong River is not a difficult task, which just requires a respect for nature. “The existing trail is available. If we need to expand, then we can expand. We should minimize cutting down big trees and instead, plant more flowers to decorate the space on the banks of the already beautiful Huong river to make it even more attractive,” Mr. Chinh shared.

According to Mr. Chinh, from the success of renovating the paths along the banks of the Huong River, the extension of the walking path further up from Da Vien will be very convenient. The advantages of this project not only come from the existing beauty of the natural space, but also from the support of the locals and tourists. “Currently, we have prepared launching the project. Hopefully, in just a short time, everyone will see the path along the Perfume River extending up to Thien Mu pagoda will become more poetic, with trees and flowers,” Mr. Chinh asserted.

Mr. Hoang Hai Minh - Chairman of Hue City People's Committee said that in addition to the existing paths along the Huong River, when the upcoming paths extending from Da Vien bridge to Huyen Tran Cong Chua Street and to Thien Mu pagoda are constructed, there will be a focus on elements of keeping the natural landscape with systems of lawns and trees running along the river...

Basically, embellishment of walking paths on the North bank is quite convenient. However, on the South bank, there are a few households living in Phuong Duc Ward which the City People's Committee will work with and have plans to relocate these households to Bau Va area nearby.

According to Mr. Minh, in order to create beautiful paths along the Huong River, the city government had based on the general plan on both sides of the Huong River, the section from Gia Long Tomb to Thuan An estuary, as well as the detailed plan on the two banks of the Huong River, studied and funded by Korean Government experts through the KOICA organization. "The goal is to keep the lawns and landscapes along the river, forming a walking route for people and tourists, avoiding encroachment on the river bank," Mr. Minh shared.

When carrying out the project, the view of the city government was to protect the trees at all costs, especially large trees. If there is a large tree in the way, the path must be built around it. The nook created can be used to plant additional flowers, creating an island of flowers or be used to place exercise equipment for the people. “It is also a variation of the space of the walking paths, creating a new highlight for the people and tourists,” Mr. Minh explained.

Another equally important task is the pruning of trees to create the perfect beauty for the paths along the Huong River. This pruning is based on the principle of 4m from the roots upwards, which not only keeps the green "forest in the city" but also creates a spacious feel. Pedestrians can see the river and people travelling on the river can look through the trees to clearly see the dynamic city...

In addition, Hue City People's Committee is also researching and calculating to bring other urban facilities into the park as well as to survey and form public parking lots and parks along the banks of the Perfume River to serve the people. Furthermore, it will shape the paths along the river with the adjacent parks and squares which are the venue for outdoor events and festivals... with criteria of being environmentally friendly and sustainable.