 |
| Front page of Hue Today Weekly Issue No. 71 |
This edition of Hue Today Weekly features many engaging articles awaiting readers, including: Has Hue Reached the Threshold of a “Heritage Industry”? (Nguyen Dinh); Opening New Development Momentum Through Bridges (Dan Duy); Musician Cao Dinh Thang: “Red Rain” Has Gone Further Than Expected (Kim Oanh); The Aspiration for Double-Digit Growth (Phan Thanh Hai); Experiencing the Tam Giang Lagoon (Mai Hue); White Summer (Linh Chau); Avoiding Relegation Is a Failure (Vo Nhan); Vietnam’s Oldest Land Register Preserved in Hue (Nguyen The); Painter Tran Van Mang and His Layers of Color (Nhat Minh); Sunlit Schoolyards Stretching Wide (Hoai Thanh); and Let Opportunities for Good Things Find Their Voice (Bui Ngoc Long).
One of the highlights of this issue is the feature article by Huu Phuc titled Trains Carrying Emotions Along the Journey.
Not only a means of transportation, the heritage train has become a space where visitors can admire and experience the historical and cultural depth of the region. Through the Hue - Da Nang route, railway tourism is opening up a new direction, where each train journey not only transports passengers from place to place, but also “holds onto” emotions.
Two years ago, when the “Connecting Central Heritage Journey” train service was launched on March 26th, 2024, many people still questioned its effectiveness, asking whether a train could go beyond its transportation role to become a genuine tourism product.
However, after more than two years, the answer has gradually become clearer through the accumulated experiences of each journey. According to railway industry statistics, during the two years from March 26, 2024 to March 26, 2026, the “Connecting Central Heritage Journey” train served more than 440,000 passengers, operated over 2,800 trips with absolute safety, and implemented tourism stimulus programs in cooperation with 140 tourism units in Hue and Da Nang.
Currently, the railway sector is coordinating with Quang Tri Province to survey and study the possibility of opening an additional railway route connecting Quang Tri and Hue. The railway industry will also cooperate with localities and tourism businesses to develop products linking distinctive destinations. Factors once considered disadvantages, such as long travel times or relatively low speeds, are gradually being “neutralized” through the integration of additional onboard amenities and services aimed at travelers seeking slower and more immersive experiences.
“The shift in mindset from transportation to experiential service is opening up a new direction for both the railway sector and the tourism industry,” the author emphasized.
Along the same tourism-oriented theme, Nguyen Dinh offers the perspective Has Hue Reached the Threshold of a ‘Heritage Industry’? after observing the tourism figures Hue has achieved recently.
During this year’s Hung Kings Commemoration Day holiday, Hue recorded estimated tourism revenue of nearly 1 trillion VND, a figure that has prompted many people to reassess the city’s potential. In reality, when heritage is activated in the right way, it can become a genuine economic driver.
For a long time, many opinions held that Hue was being “constrained” by preservation and overly strict heritage regulations. But preservation does not mean standing still. Under a modern approach, preservation means recreating value within a new context. Programs such as “Mystical Royal Palace” demonstrate exactly that.
Hue has reached a new threshold - one of a heritage industry. The remaining question is whether there is enough determination to step across it. At a time when opportunities and challenges are intertwined, the greatest concern is not moving slowly, but standing still.
And for Hue, standing still does not mean preservation; it may mean missing its own future.
 |
| Hue Photo Corner featured in Hue Today Weekly Issue No. 71 |
Filled with lively and joyful moments, the “Hue Photo Corner” section features Duc Quang, a son of the coastal region, sharing a vivid cultural practice from the Thuan An seaside area through Fish Trap Baskets on the Sand.
Please enjoy!