Perspective of public space after completion
After a long time of preparation and planning, Mr. Truong Dinh Ngo and many of his associates officially performed the stone laying ceremony, starting the public space in the park by the Huong River, opposite 20 Nguyen Phuc Nguyen Street (Kim Long Ward, Hue City).
Mr. Ngo is an overseas Vietnamese in Switzerland, after many years of wandering in the West, he returned and chose Hue as a place to rest and enjoy the fresh air in his old age.
Because of his love for the Huong River, for the cool water and anecdotes of the river that have been implied in poetry and music, Mr. Ngo said he had to do something useful and called on everyone to join hands to keep the Hue environment forever green, and the Huong River always clean so that anyone can come and enjoy a cool bath.
With that idea, Mr. Ngo invited many of his friends at hometown and abroad to come to Hue to pay a visit and talk about his wish. Everyone agrees and supports the expatriate son in doing meaningful work for his homeland and Hue.
To have money to do this, Mr. Ngo organized many music nights to raise funds. Many attendees were touched and joined hands to support him and they also said that once the project is completed, they will come back and enjoy the fruits right on it.
According to Mr. Ngo, the location he chose to set up that space is considered ideal. It is inherently the spot of daily bathing or swimming of people in Kim Long area in particular and tourists from many places in general. From this section of the Huong River, one can both look up toward the town, and also back towards the upstream when the sky is extremely glamorous at sunset.
This section of the river is also the place where the group "Thank the Huong River" many years ago called for environmental protection, protecting the green and clean Huong River in service of bathing, creating an enjoyable stopover on hot summer days.
According to the design, this space will have an area of about 3,000m2 on the riverbank, 500m2 under the water, together with a parking system, flower garden, trees and grass. During the construction process, the natural status of the riverbank will be kept intact; 10m from the bank on the water surface, buoys will be arranged to mark the limit of the area as well as the waterway traffic.
“The formation of this space is, hopefully, a premise for many other public spaces of the Huong River. Such spaces will create a beautiful and impressive new landscape in the hearts of tourists, and most importantly, bring outdoor relaxation activities to our children and people of Hue,” said Mr. Ngo.
Knowing that there will be a public space at the location where people often go out to have fun and cool off, many people are both surprised and happy. In the days of just starting the construction, everyone took advantage of the opportunity to stop by to have a look and wait eagerly.
Ms. Vo Han (27 years old, Hue City) said that every summer afternoon she and her friends go to this river section to pick up trash to keep the Huong River clean, and then sit and relax. Now this part of the river has been built with an embankment; next to it, there is a very beautiful walking path that makes everyone feel happy. Now there is a new bathing station right there, which will become an impressive stop right on the bank of the Huong River, in the heart of the poetic city.
“As always, locals and tourists from far away to Hue also find the Huong River to enjoy the scenery. Many people even come down to take a cool bath in the early morning or late afternoon. The water is not only clean but also cool, so everyone likes it. Besides a number of bathing wharfs built by the government, the public swimming area in Kim Long will partly meet everyone's needs. Hopefully, there will be such swimming wharfs that are built and well controlled, creating a ‘specialty’ of Hue," said Ms. Han.
According to a representative of Hue City People's Committee, the authority previously agreed to Mr. Ngo's research and call for funding. This is a good work, but it must be stuck to the plan, harmonizing with the surrounding space, creating a beautiful landscape for the nearby park. During the implementation process, Hue Green Park Center will undertake the management and monitoring.
By Nhat Minh