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| Importing and exporting goods at Chan May port |
Significant changes
From the center of Hue City, passing through Phuoc Tuong tunnel in less than one hour's drive, Chan May - Lang Co appears like a soft silk strip. Traditionally, Chan May - Lang Co has been likened to a picturesque landscape painting of mountains and sea that is rarely found elsewhere.
Covering an area of over 27,000 hectares, Chan May - Lang Co is one of the eight key national coastal economic zones, and is identified as a growth driving force for Hue City and the Central region. Since 2006, the appearance of Chan May - Lang Co has been changing day by day. The once-vast stretches of white sand have now given way to high-end resorts and bustling clean industrial facilities. The Chan May deep-water port, one of the few ports capable of accommodating large international vessels, is currently investing in the construction of berths No. 4 and No. 5, aiming to reach a total of eight berths by 2030.
Mr. Tran Dinh Quoc, a supervising engineer of Vsico Maritime Joint Stock Company, the unit investing in the construction of wharf No. 4 at Chan May port, shared: “We chose Chan May - Lang Co for the investment due to its ideal location. It is less than 50km from the centers of Hue City and Da Nang City, as well as Phu Bai International Airport. Goods passing through Chan May port have significant advantages when exported overseas.”
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| Investing in logistics infrastructure construction in Chan May - Lang Co |
To date, Chan May - Lang Co Economic Zone (EZ) has attracted 63 projects, with a total registered investment capital of 105,000 billion VND, including 18 FDI projects, with a registered capital of 2,560 million USD (equivalent to 57,260 billion VND). Among these, the Laguna Lang Co tourism and resort complex project by Banyan Tree Group (Singapore) has established a high-class international tourism brand, and created stable employment for thousands of local workers.
Ms. Le Thi Hong, a customer service staff at Laguna Lang Co, shared that four years ago, she worked seasonally in Da Nang, but now she has a job closer to home, with stable income, and opportunity to improve her foreign language skills; this has made her feel very happy. Cases like Ms. Hong are becoming common in the Chan May - Lang Co EZ. From a once-poor coastal area, Chan May - Lang Co is now named on the map of dynamic investment destinations in the Central region.
Recently, Hue City signed a Memorandum of Understanding on strategic cooperation with Phuong Trang Group (FUTA Group) and Kim Long Motor Hue Joint Stock Company to promote green industrial, smart urban, and logistics projects in Chan May - Lang Co. This event is expected to contribute to realizing sustainable development goals, and elevating this EZ in the coming years.
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| Investing in warehouse infrastructure and logistics center in Chan May - Lang Co |
Synchronized planning
Development often comes with challenges. Rapid development lacking sustainability is a lesson met by many other coastal localities. Therefore, Chan May - Lang Co needs a specific development orientation, with the goal of not trading the environment for mere growth. This is also the city's goal in its general development direction.
In Hoi Mit and Hoi Dua areas (formerly Lang Co town, Phu Loc district), many residents are gradually switching their occupations from livestock farming and gardening to community tourism. However, due to the lack of specific planning and unsynchronized infrastructure, this model remains fragmented. “Many families want to invest in homestays but are uncertain about the regulations, being afraid that after completion, they might be affected by the planning, which would be wasteful,” said anxiously Mr. Le Ty, a resident of the former Hoi Mit residential group.
In addition, inter-regional connectivity infrastructure also needs improvement to attract investment. Chan May - Lang Co has great potential, but is currently not synchronized, lacking a system of social housing, cultural facilities, services, logistics infrastructure, and accompanying services. Recently, the locality has issued many good policy mechanisms to attract investors, but the results have not yet met expectations.
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| The Chan May - Lang Co area has seen a growing presence of goods production infrastructure |
At workshops related to the development planning of the Chan May - Lang Co EZ, some experts suggested that uncontrolled development could diminish the region's unique natural values. When contributing feedback to Thua Thien Hue (now Hue City) General Urban Planning Project up to 2045, with a vision to 2065, Mr. Tran Ngoc Chinh, Chairman of Vietnam Urban Development Planning Association, stated: “Chan May - Lang Co has a crucial role not only for local economic development, but also for the entire Central region. The greatest value here is the interplay between nature and people, which is a long-term attraction. Therefore, appropriate development strategies are needed.”
Recently, Hue City announced the Decision on the adjustment of the General Construction Planning of the Chan May - Lang Co EZ up to 2045, aiming to become a comprehensive, multi-sectoral, modern, and environmentally friendly EZ, prioritizing the construction of new urban areas, and social housing, etc.
To achieve the aforementioned goal, Chan May - Lang Co needs a comprehensive strategy that ensures the synchronization of planning, investment, and the community. Investor and business attraction must be selective, following green directions; prioritizing connecting transport infrastructure, especially the central axis road of the EZ; and, port infrastructure must reflect its role as an inter-regional logistics hub, not merely a docking site, but one that focuses on environmental issues when vehicles entering and exiting for import and export of goods. Furthermore, the development process in Chan May - Lang Co must include the role of local community - no one understands the sea better than those whose lives depending on it. They need to be trained, change their livelihoods, have a voice in policymaking, and directly benefit from investment projects…