Forming walking and cycling routes along the two banks of the Perfume River connecting with Truong Tien Bridge, Dong Ba Market, and Gia Hoi Ancient Town is the city's goal in 2021

Diverse destinations

In 2020, Hue's urban appearance has changed in the direction of completing infrastructure and developing cultural space, with the highlights being the space along two banks of the Perfume River, the area around the Imperial Citadel, and the current walking routes. To exploit the city's potentials and to promote its strengths, the city is building the project named "Developing night-time tourism and services products for the period 2021-2025 with a vision to 2030", approved by the People's Council of Hue City at the end of 2020.

According to Mr. Tran Song, Vice Chairman of Hue City People's Committee, night-time economic development is a highlight tourism activity. This would contribute to making tourism and services a key economic sector of the city while building Hue into a heritage city - a municipality towards the direction of "Heritage, culture, ecology, landscape, and environmental friendliness".

This activity aims to exploit and make the most of opportunities for new economic development and improve people's lives and incomes. Furthermore, it creates focal points for tourism activities, contributing to turning tourism and services into a spearhead economic sector towards socio-economic development orientations, strategies, and planning of the province and city.

The first part of the project is to improve the quality of Chu Van An - Pham Ngu Lao - Vo Thi Sau pedestrian street and Nguyen Dinh Chieu walking street for people to experience various types of street art and culture, enjoy food and buying souvenirs.

Besides, forming a walking route on both sides of the Huong river connecting with Truong Tien bridge, in which the bridge would become a pedestrian route on weekends. Turning Da Vien islet into a closed space with full facilities from infrastructure to services for tourists and people to walk, experience cycling, and enjoy the view with the theme "The Perfume River by Night".

After investing in upgrading the roads around the Imperial Citadel , such as Le Huan st., Doan Thi Diem st., and August 23 st., the city will form a pedestrian  area around the Imperial Citadel with the theme named "The Royal Palace by Night". This would enable tourists to deeply explore the night-time culture's values, the walking routes, and cycling around Ho Thanh Hao (protective moat), Thuong Thanh (the Citadel Bastion), and Chuong Duong Street.

Also, there will be a space to experience the natural landscape, enjoy culture, arts, and convenient services at walking routes and the parks along the Perfume River banks; and to contemplate the waterways system of the city.

The night market and food area at Dong Ba bus station will be deployed in 2021; in particular, the culinary spaces at the roads around the Gia Hoi bridge area and Truong Dinh st., will organize the three-region culinary space. Moreover, several night-time destinations are also organized, such as establishing trade centers, services, tourist markets, souvenir shops, Hue specialties on the routes around the Imperial Citadel, and setting up Hue handicraft and specialty product introduction center at 15 Le Loi st.

To implement the project, the city will focus resources on investing in infrastructure for night-time economic development. Furthermore, they will also complete urban infrastructure, pedestrian streets, and commercial streets; build standard public sanitation systems in parks and tourist sites, Wi-Fi systems, drainage, wastewater treatment infrastructure, solid waste collection and storage infrastructure, etc.

One of the crucial issues is prioritize the allocation of land funds to form static traffic systems, parking lots, and commercial centers and embellish bus stations and destinations to promote tourism.

The Hue Countdown program to welcome the new year was well-received by tourists and the public

Building a creative culture space

To promote and exploit tourism potentials, the city is building a creative cultural space to help visitors and residents participate in exploring and experiencing intangible cultural tourism products such as folk art, music, painting, festivals, handicraft villages, cuisine, museums, lifestyle, and customs of Hue people, etc.

According to Mr. Dong Si Toan, the Head of Economic Department of Hue city, after investing in the embellishment of the two banks of the Perfume River, the city forms a creative cultural space in the parks along the banks of the Huong River. Notably, the Huong River is the key area with parks and walking routes along the river banks. This space will form a walking and cycling route connecting Truong Tien bridge, Dong Ba market, Gia Hoi old town, and Da Vien islet with full urban facilities to serve tourists and residents to walk and to cycle.

To create a fascinating walking space, the city continues to improve the quality of the existing pedestrian streets (Pham Ngu Lao - Chu Van An - Vo Thi Sau) and Nguyen Dinh Chieu walking street to form an area for tourists to experience the street culture, enjoy Hue folk cuisine and buy souvenirs.

Besides, to create more night-time destinations, the city will build a creative cultural space on routes around the Hue Imperial City to form a night-time streets imbued with the culture of the Royal Palace - the Imperial Citadel at night, enabling visitors to deeply explore Hue cultural values.

By Thanh Huong