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| Deputy Secretary of Hue City Party Committee and Chairman of Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hue City Nguyen Chi Tai (left) presenting flowers to the seminar’s organizing committee |
“No Huong River, No Hue City”
When discussing Hue’s urban development, experts consistently highlight the role of the Huong River throughout the city’s history. Dr. Nguyen Dinh from the Institute of Environmental Technology, Disaster Mitigation and Climate Change acknowledged: “It can be said that without the Huong River, there would be no Hue; and without Hue, the Huong River could not have earned the enduring renown it enjoys today”.
Cutting across the city, the river forms Hue’s symbolic frontispiece - an organic core of the heritage urban landscape. Alongside the natural landmarks across its basin, the Huong River has been the decisive element shaping Hue’s growth and elevating its cultural stature.
Beyond that, Hue’s rich system of heritage sites, blending with the beauty of the Huong River, has led to the recognition of the city as “a poetic masterpiece of urban architecture” - the essence of Hue’s identity.
According to the expert, it is thanks to the Huong River, relying on it and evolving in harmony with it, that the former urban Phu Xuan , now Hue City, has accumulated both material and spiritual values that form a distinctive cultural tradition. For that reason, safeguarding, conserving, and enhancing the river’s value in service of Hue’s sustainable urban development is a matter that must be addressed.
The expert emphasized the need to continue improving the landscape along both banks of the Huong River; particularly, the constructions must respect the principles of preserving the river’s flow and its flood-escape corridor. Dr. Dinh added: “Priority should be given to ecological solutions that harmonize with the natural landscape, limiting the use of concrete along the riverbank to maintain soil permeability and a healthy hydrological regime. The regulations of the Huong River’s flood-escape corridor and its tributaries must be issued promptly and strictly protected. Hue’s urban development - especially new urban areas - should follow clear standards and indicators for drainage space and green, water-sensitive planning”.
Challenges between Urban Development and Preservation
From a traditional Imperial Capital, Hue has gradually transformed into a modern city while retaining its distinct Oriental architectural and landscape identity. The successive boundary adjustments in 1899, 1929, 1945, 1975, 1990, 2021, and now 2025 reflect the city’s need to expand its living space, strengthen governance capacity, and adapt to new development demands.
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Dr. Nguyen Dinh from the Institute of Environmental Technology, Disaster Mitigation and Climate Change presenting his views at the seminar
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One of the most historical milestones in Hue’s urban development is the moment when Hue officially became a centrally-run municipality on January 1, 2025. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Manh from Hue Historical Science Association noted that this event carries profound political, cultural, and social meaning, reflecting a sense of pride and affirming Hue’s path toward sustainable development amid the country’s broader process of integration and modernization.
However, alongside that distinction, Hue is facing a series of new challenges in balancing urban development with the preservation and promotion of its cultural heritage. How to safeguard the soul of a heritage city while still meeting the demands of a dynamic, fast-changing era has become a central question for both local authorities and the broader Hue community.
According to Mr. Manh, cultural heritage in general, and Hue’s heritage city in particular, ultimately belongs to the people. When citizens agree with and actively participate in efforts to preserve and promote that heritage, the effectiveness is significant; conversely, without public support and consensus, such efforts inevitably face considerable obstacles.
Discussing the delineation of heritage zones for preservation and development, Mr. Manh proposed dividing the city into three areas. He explained: “These three zones include the original/intact urban heritage zone, the adaptive/transformed heritage zone, and the modern urban zone. The original heritage zone covers the Complex of Hue Monuments, traditional garden houses, and colonial-era architecture… The adaptive heritage zone includes areas such as the old quarters of Dinh Market, Chi Lang, Gia Hoi, and the northern bank urban areas of the Huong River…”.
At the seminar, experts also discussed a range of issues relating to Hue’s urban development, including the geopolitical factors behind the city’s early formation, the relationship between the royal capital and commercial quarters, and the contemporary value of Hue’s urban heritage. The proposals for how the city can further strengthen its role in the nation’s development were also mentioned in the discussions.
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Hue: The City of Convergence and Continuity
Speaking at the seminar, Deputy Secretary of Hue Party Committee and Chairman of Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hue City Nguyen Chi Tai emphasized that the defining characteristics of Hue’s urban identity are convergence and continuity.
With its diverse architectural forms and urban spaces, from folk architecture and royal structures to colonial and modern styles, Hue has managed to preserve a balance between the built environment, natural landscape, and cultural life. This foundation shapes the city’s unique urban identity, the core value of a heritage city.
In the current context, as Hue pursues the goal of sustainable heritage-city development, systematically studying its urban historical trajectory, fully identifying its historical, cultural, and spatial values, and clarifying the relationship between preservation and development, all are of critical scientific and practical significance.
Therefore, this seminar serves as an important academic forum that brings together research findings, scientific perspectives, and multidisciplinary approaches to issues surrounding Hue’s urban development. “The presentations and discussions at the seminar are expected to contribute valuable scientific grounds to support planning, conservation, and urban development efforts in Hue in the coming period, in alignment with the implementation of Politburo Resolution No. 54 on building and developing Hue City,” said Deputy Secretary Nguyen Chi Tai.
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