Hue will become urban heritage municipality.
From sustainable development …
In the period of 2015 - 2019, Hue economy maintained its stable development and achieved considerable growth. The economic structure has shifted in the right direction; all economic sectors have developed dynamically. The total annual social investment has increased; particularly in 2019, it was estimated at 5,280 billion and the average per capita income was estimated at 2,889.50 USD.
Tourism revenue increased from VND 1,743.1 billion to VND 3,160 billion. Total retail sales of social goods and services achieved an average growth rate of 14.67% per year. Industrial production value increased from VND 5,745 billion to VND 9,064 billion. The export value from 90 million USD increased to 150 million USD. Agricultural value grew by an average of 2.9% per year.
The total state budget revenue in the area has increased on average by 13% in the past 5 years and the city budget revenue has increased by an average of 8% per year, estimated at VND 1,233 billion in 2019.
Each economic sector also witnessed many important shifts. For example, in tourism, along with the establishment of Pham Ngu Lao - Chu Van An - Vo Thi Sau Walking Street at night, the operation of the walkway along the Perfume River in association with embellishment of the walkways along the 2 banks of North and South of the Perfume River and Nguyen Dinh Chieu walkway has created a system of attractive tourist destinations.
In commercial activities, the strong development of the private sector has created many busy trade routes, various modern shops and supermarkets opened to serve the consumers; activities to promote trade are implemented in association with the campaign " Vietnamese people prioritize using Vietnamese goods" ...
No longer a city of consumers only, Hue has become a business address that attracts investment, with many domestic and foreign corporations, companies, businesses coming to visit and making investment. In 2019, the city had 2,796 businesses, attracting 35,504 workers (an increase of 2,620 employees compared to 2015). In addition, there are 37 cooperatives, attracting 997 employees and 36,126 non-agricultural establishments, attracting 54,472 employees (an increase of 10,681 employees compared to 2015).
…To the city worth living in
Hue deserves to be a city worth living in as the quality of urban life is always maintained and improved such as: running water, air, greenery, safety, friendliness, spiritual and cultural life. The city has many cultural activities and festivals particularly Hue Festival and some Thematic Festivals.
Over the past 5 years, Hue has been recognized with many noble titles: ASEAN Tourism Clean City, ASEAN Environmentally Sustainable City, Green City, ASEAN Cultural City ...
Social welfare policies are always concerned, the quality of education increased at all levels, medical examination and healthcare services strongly developed. The proportion of poor households has been continuously decreasing over the years, from 2.52% (2015) to 1.71% (2019). By 2019, the whole city had 27/27 wards that met the standards of "communes and wards suitable for children".
In the past 5 years, the total development investment capital managed by the city is nearly VND 900 billion. The city has mobilized all resources to focus on the implementation of Hue urban upgrading project to ensure that the investment is in synchronous construction of infrastructure, urban embellishment; landscapes are suitable to the planning, and the implementation of sustainable infrastructure development goes in the direction of preserving and protecting the cultural assets and unique landscapes of Hue.
The city also carried out the implementation of the plan to adjust the general planning adjustment in the period from 2016 to 2020, approved by the Prime Minister; until now, the coverage rate of the planning reaches about 95%.
Many key projects have been implemented, such as the construction of a network to connect the walkways to the south of the Perfume River (a pilot project funded by KOICA), improving the water environment, investing in an urban surveillance camera system... In particular, the technical infrastructure of the resettlement area has been finished for the purpose of preserving, restoring and embellishing Hue Imperial City.
Opportunity for a breakthrough
At the Conference "The building and developing Thua Thien-Hue to 2030, with a vision to 2045" organized by the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission in collaboration with Thua Thien Hue Provincial Party Committee, Mr. Nguyen Van Binh, Member of the Central Politburo, Head of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission emphasized: “It is very difficult to turn the whole Thua Thien Hue province into municipality. 10 years has passed and we have not achieved the title for the city yet. If Hue is built to become an urban heritage municipality, it would be more suitable and feasible; although no set of criteria for this type of urban area has been established yet.”
The target of the city in this early period is to maintain sustainable economic development, to continue creating a breakthrough in tourism, services and commerce. In addition, the city should set up the construction of synchronous socio-economic infrastructure systems with a number of modern, environmentally-friendly works, meeting the criteria of grade I provincial city.
Hue City entered the Year of the Rat 2020 with determination and efforts to implement the goals and tasks set out by the Resolution of the 11th Convention of the City Party, creating breakthrough development in order to build an increasingly rich, beautiful, modern and civilized city.
Story: Hoang Hai Minh (Architect)
Photo: Khanh Dang