The Cassia javanica (pink shower) beautified the banks of An Cuu river. Photo credit: Nhat Minh
Flocking to the city
Speaking at a conference in Hue, Professor Truong Nguyen Thanh quoted: “Humans are different from other living animals in the ability to dream.” He recounted his trip to Hue a year before. It helped him explore the nature, and people of this city, which shaped his dream of Hue.
He dreamed that when coming to Hue, he could see the green tree lines, safe bike lanes for sight seeing and the shady trees along the Huong river. He also dreamed that he could pleasantly jog along the streets in Hue to enjoy the fresh cool air every morning before going to work.
It is necessary to make the Huong river both clean and safe for impressive tourism development. “After a week in Hue and receiving a good result for health check-up, why shouldn’t I return here? That’s my dream. It’s simple, and I think Hue will make it,” said the professor.
Hue is surrounded with a variety of plant species, where the birds flock in and perch upon the trees in the middle of the city. It is the amazing pride that Hue takes in.
In the cold rainy days of early 2021, thousands of white storks migrate to the city. They sheltered on the trees along the river banks and in the middle of Gia Vien islet. When thousands of these birds migrate to Hue, it is evident that the city is really tranquil and safe, because birds often keep away from noisy crowded places.
It is rare to catch sight of a bird in big noisy city. But they do come to Hue. Why so? It is because the city has many green trees of different species. It is true that ‘birds settle down in peaceful land’ as goes a Vietnamese proverb.
The green canopy in Truong Nguyen Thanh’s “dream” is what he believed to bring to Hue the freshness, distinction and pride. These have been not only home for humans but also shelter for birds.
You may have stress with work and life; and it will be soon relieved if you spend some time in thewatch-towers along Gia Vien Bridge beholding the birds flying and swooping close to the water.
Nothing is more amazing than the harmony between humans and wildlife, living and sharing the fresh habitat.
People’s happiness is the priority
“We would like to inform that there is traffic jam at Gia Vien Bridge at the moment. Traffic-takers are advised to take a different route for convenience.” This is a piece of announcement on the Hue-S app. Thanks to the announcements like this, many people can avoid traffic congestion on their way to and from work. This is one of the benefits that Hue-S has brought to the local residents.
Hue-S is an app with several features allowing the official information from the local authorities to reach the residents and vice versa. The on-site reflection, the map and the news are examples of these features. The warning proved to be one of the most helpful to the local residents during the 2020 natural disaster and pandemic.
The applications of the smart city Hue-S were established on the premise of “promoting the modern citizen-friendly administration system to create an open transparent business environment and enhance the competitiveness,” as said by the Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phan Ngoc Tho.
Mr. Phan Ngoc Tho once said to the press that one of the qualities of a political leaders was the awareness of prioritizing the citizen’s happiness. Hue is striving towards the development, taking the people’s happiness as the motivation. In Hue dream, there is a dream of a happy land.
Thua Thien Hue authorities are developing a serving-the-people administration system. If you have ever used and benefited from Hue-S, you will easily understand the meaning of “serving the people” in a very real sense.
Professor Truong Nguyen Thanh argued that it was the ability to dream that made humans developed. This is the ability that has led Hue, by means of practical activities, to the direction of a unique city.
By Nguyen Dac Thanh