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| The Perfume River and Hue’s Green Spaces |
Hue City has officially been nominated in Asia’s Leading Culture City Destination 2026 category at the World Travel Awards (WTA) for the Asia and Oceania region.
In this year’s shortlist, Hue is listed alongside some of Asia’s most iconic cultural destinations, including Beijing, Kyoto, Seoul, and Delhi. These cities are renowned for their rich histories, extensive heritage assets, and profound influence on their nations’ cultural landscapes.
Hue’s nomination for Asia’s Leading Culture City Destination reflects international recognition of the cultural, historical, and heritage values that the former imperial capital has diligently preserved and promoted over the years.
Nestled by the Perfume River, Hue is home to a Complex of Monuments, Hue Royal Court Music (nha nhac), and a wealth of tangible and intangible cultural heritage inscribed by UNESCO. Alongside these treasures are vibrant traditional festivals, royal performing arts, historic architecture, a distinctive culinary culture, the elegant Hue ao-dai, and a unique cultural landscape defined by the iconic Perfume River and Ngu Mountain.
Together, these cultural and heritage values have shaped Hue’s unique identity, establishing the city as one of Vietnam’s most distinctive and prominent cultural hubs.
Regarding the nomination of Asia’s Leading Culture City Destination, the reality is that for many years, international recognition of Vietnam’s cultural tourism sector has largely been centered on Hoi An.
By being honored multiple times by World Travel Awards as Asia’s Leading Cultural City Destination, Hoi An - the renowned urban heritage of Central Vietnam - has established itself as a cultural tourism brand name with strong regional appeal.
To some extent, Hoi An’s achievements underscore that if these values are properly preserved, managed, and leveraged for sustainable tourism development, Vietnam’s cultural heritage is fully capable of standing alongside other leading cultural centers in Asia.
Hue is now presented with a similar opportunity.
In recent years, Hue has not only focused on preserving its heritage but also made significant efforts to integrate it into contemporary life. Specifically, Hue Festivals have continued to expand in both scale and format. A growing number of artistic performances, community-based cultural activities, and street festivals have been organized on a more regular basis.
Hue’s heritage sites are increasingly being reenacted and transformed into living cultural spaces that offer hands-on experiences rather than serving solely as tourist attractions. This approach is in line with contemporary tourism trends.
Yet in a region rich in cultural city destinations across Asia and the world, Hue’s distinction lies not simply in its wealth of heritage assets or international recognitions. What matters more is how effectively the city can leverage its heritage as a driving force for economic growth, enhance quality of life, and build a compelling and sustainable destination brand name.
Hue is now in a strong position to turn this vision into reality. Its elevation to a centrally run governed municipality has created greater momentum for local development. Typically, transport infrastructure, tourism services, creative cultural products, and cultural industries are all poised for further expansion.
However, earning recognition as one of Asia’s leading cultural city destinations will require sustained efforts from Hue. The city must continue to foster a welcoming and high-quality tourism environment, ensure the sustainable preservation of its heritage spaces, and create a wider range of novel experiences that showcase its unique cultural character.
While the winners of the Asia’s Leading Culture City Destination category at the 2026 World Travel Awards (WTA) have not yet been announced, securing a place on the shortlist is, in itself, a significant achievement for Hue.
More importantly, the nomination offers Hue an opportunity to tell its cultural stories to the world through the heritage values that have been nurtured and enriched over centuries. In doing so, the city can further promote its image, attract greater interest from international visitors, and reinforce its position on Asia’s cultural tourism map.