The two banks of the Huong River were renovated as urban highlights - Photo: Bao Chau
Never before has Hue tremendously changed in infrastructure like this. Urban embellishment projects for the two banks of the Huong River with the focus on completing the network of walking streets, this has contributed to creating spacious public places for the community, becoming popular places of morning exercises for the locals and check-in points for tourists. From the walking path by Truong Tien Bridge on the South Bank, tourists can take a walk or cycle along the river, cross Gia Vien Bridge and arrive at Thuong Bac Park on the North Bank. The journey is about 5 kilometers long.
Ever since the Ironwood Bridge, together with the promenade areas on the two banks, was put into operation in 2019, the streets such as Le Loi, Nguyen Hue and Le Quy Don have also been embellished, carpeted with asphalt and lined with green trees from the residual capital of the project of environment improvement. In addition, the Green City project has been conducted to upgrade the drainage system, the sidewalks along the streets in the Citadel and others such as Princess Huyen Tran and Bui Thi Xuan (from Long Tho Bridge to Luong Quan Village Common House).
According to the City People’s Committee Hoang Hai Minh, the infrastructures on the two banks of the Huong River and the streets in the city center are being completed. The city authorities will continue to invest in developing the urban amenities in the riverside parks by mobilizing social capital in order to satisfy the entertainment demands of the locals and tourists.
There will be a project of bicycle service for people who take a promenade in the park or along the river. Bus stops will also be embellished and modernized. The advertising boards will be replaced by the modern, environment-friendly LED-screens.
Phu Xuan Park (the area between Phu Xuan Bridge and Da Vien Bridge) is under construction to connect the paths in the areas of Ngan Gate, Quang Duc Gate, Nha Do Gate, creating a pathway network connecting the relics and the two banks of the Huong River.
The area around Ben Me will be renovated and upgraded into a community swimming spot with a car park for tourists. Part of Dong Ba market at the riverside will be rearranged and cleaned to make the market front face the river; and the area on Tran Hung Dao street will also be beautified to create a spacious overall structure.
Infrastructure completed and services supplemented
Together with the on-going projects, the city will concentrate on the project of upgrading the urban infrastructure of Hue city in 2021, gradually making a uniformity of the appropriate modern infrastructure and urban landscapes. The work on the network of walking streets in the South Bank, sponsored by the Korean Government, will be continued and completed. The parks, the walking paths along the river banks, the network of Pham Ngu Lao - Chu Van An - Vo Thi Sau and the green space along To Huu road to An Van Duong urban area will be rearranged and completed.
Large-scale projects will be launched early this year, creating the driving force for the city of Hue. Among these are the network of walking paths along the river and Truong Tien Bridge, with the bridge becoming the walking path during weekends only, the Da Vien Island Precinct with amenities from infrastructure to services for tourists, promenaders and cyclists to enjoy with the theme “Huong River By Night”.
The Imperial area will have a network of walking streets around the Imperial Citadel on the theme of “Royal Night” to provide visitors an insight into the night life; and there will be the cycling routes around the Imperial Canals, the Walls and Chuong Duong street.
In addition, there will be a space for the admiration of the natural beauty, enjoying the artistic forms and the convenience services along the walking streets and in the parks and along the Huong River. There will also be a waterway city tour.
The City People's Committee Chairman, Hoang Minh Hai, said that activities of putting into operation the network of walking streets along the Huong River, embellishing the roads in the city center and investing more urban amenities are parts of the provincial projects such as “Hue - the city of blossoms” and “Green - Clean and Clear” towards an elegant and smart city.
In a near future, the city will continue to have more lights installed on the two banks of the river to ensure the appropriate degrees and colors of light, and have more flowers grown along the river banks and the walking streets. It will also continue to complete the extension of the walking path _ the section from Da Vien Bridge to Linh Mu Pagoda.
By Thanh Huong