Hue Nam Temple Festival: Preserving Identity, Opening New Paths for Tourism

The boat procession traveling upstream along the Perfume River toward Ngoc Tran Mountain during the Hue Nam Temple Festival. Photo by: D. Hoang

A one-of-a-kind tourism product

Experts regard the heritage of Hue Nam Temple Festival as being distinguished by its profound sense of ‘sacredness’. If tourism development focuses solely on economic growth, the heritage will simply be turned into a commercial commodity, which disregards its authenticity, spiritual conventions and the central role of the communities practicing and sustaining it. This puts the heritage at risk of being distorted, “staged” for tourists or stripped of its traditional character.

Mr. Ho Quang, Chief Ritual Officiant of Thien Long Temple (Hue City’s Mother Goddess Worshipping Community) describes Hue Nam Temple Festival, from the perspective of intangible cultural heritage, as a spectacular open-air masterpiece of traditional folk performance. At its heart is a unique waterborne procession that brings together diverse forms of traditional art within a remarkably complete spiritual and cultural landscape.

These qualities give the festival the potential to become a signature heritage tourism product unique to Hue. Visitors come not only to participate in religious and spiritual practices but also to immerse themselves in the festival’s vibrant colors, experience authentic Chau van music and explore the rich history of the former ancient capital. The combination between folk traditions and imperial influences creates an experience markedly different from Mother Goddess festivals in the Northern Delta Region.

“Hue Nam Temple Festival is the most important link in developing a cultural, spiritual and ecological tourism route along the Perfume River,” stated Mr. Quang. “Such a route could extend the length of stay of tourists, increase spending, and ease pressure on heritage sites in the city center”.

The tourist route on the Perfume River would connect Hue Nam Temple with such heritage sites as Thien Mu Pagoda, Van Mieu Temple, the tombs of Emperors Minh Mang and Gia Long, and Mother Goddess temples along both banks of the river, from the Sinh Junction to Tuan Junction. Tourism on the Perfume River could also create momentum for economic development closely linked to culture, while safeguarding and promoting the cultural heritage values of Hue, including Hue Nam Temple Festival.

“To turn Hue Nam Temple Festival into a unique spiritual and religious tourism product, I believe it's necessary to invest in constructing more shopping and entertainment centers, waiting areas, parking lots, and other essential infrastructure. Besides, a large and enthusiastic workforce is needed to promote Hue Nam Temple Festival through various forms, ranging from word-of-mouth to social media platforms,” shared researcher Tran Nguyen Khanh Phong (Hue City).

Devising a signature tourism product

Experts note, however, that this tourism product is still monotonous, with tourists’ experiences centered largely on attending rituals while diverse cultural, educational, or creative programs are found lacking. In particular, the connection between the festival and travel agencies, accommodation establishments, traditional craft villages, and other attractions has yet to be truly strong.

In recent years, the reenactment of the festival’s land procession at Hue Nam Temple Festival having truly captivated visitors

The emphasis should therefore shift from mere sightseeing to cultural experiences. This will require closer coordination among the government, tourism businesses, research institutions and local communities to develop themed tours on Hue’s beliefs and cultural traditions, while improving service quality and promoting the festival.

According to Mr. Le Minh Nhan, Director of Hue City’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as an intangible cultural heritage, Hue Nam Temple Festival not only meets the spiritual needs of local communities but has also become an important cultural resource contributing to promoting socio-economic and tourism development as well as shaping Hue’s cultural identity.

As Hue works toward establishing itself as a distinctive heritage city of Vietnam and developing a four-season festival program, Hue Nam Temple Festival has favorable conditions to create unique cultural and spiritual tourism products linked to the monuments of the former ancient capital, the Perfume River landscape and other traditional festivals. If properly exploited, the festival will not only contribute to promoting the image of Hue, but also create livelihoods for local communities and stimulate the development of traditional crafts, cultural services and cultural industries.

From the perspective of tourism development, Mr. Nhan stressed that this process should be sustainably implemented. Tourism should neither alter the essence of rituals nor transform sacred spaces into mere performance venues for visitors. Instead, tourism should serve as a means of showcasing the unique cultural values of Hue through heritage interpretation programs, themed visitor routes, exhibition spaces for historical documents, traditional handicrafts and cultural experiences associated with the Perfume River and Hue Nam Temple.