Hue has been a centrally governed municipality for more than a year, making planning adjustments subject to many new requirements. Regarding this issue, Dr. Ngo Viet Nam Son, Architect, shared his perspectives with Hue Today Weekly on development thinking, regional connectivity, and long-term growth drivers for Hue heritage city.

The 2021-2025 period can be regarded as one of the most extraordinary stages in the development history of Hue City. This was not merely a term of socio-economic development following a conventional trajectory, but rather a period of “running while lining up”: simultaneously coping with unprecedented shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic and global instability, while concentrating resources to realize the strategic goal of becoming a centrally governed municipality.

The review and adjustment of Hue’s urban master plan to 2045, with a vision toward 2065, marks a pivotal moment for the city’s future development. As Hue has recently become a centrally-run governed municipality, the planning process goes beyond merely updating technical indicators or redefining urban boundaries; it opens an opportunity to redefine a long-term development vision for one of Vietnam’s most distinctive heritage cities.

Hue’s elevation to a centrally-governed municipality from early 2025 has taken place in a special context: the country is undergoing a major administrative restructuring, reducing the number of provinces and cities from 63 to 34. While 52 other localities are expanding through mergers, Hue has chosen a different path - no consolidation, no expansion by aggregation, but an upgrade built on its existing identity and structural foundation.

Just one year after becoming the country’s sixth centrally governed municipality, Hue City has begun a new and more dynamic development journey. A series of key transport infrastructure projects have been invested in and completed, contributing to a transformation of the urban landscape and opening up numerous opportunities for local socio-economic development.

In the early days of the re-establishment of the province, Hue faced countless difficulties. Over 35 years, Hue City has made remarkable and proud progress.

The Cultural Heritage Law No. 45/2025/QH15, passed by the 15th National Assembly on November 23, 2024, at its 8th session, will officially take effect on July 1, 2025. For Hue, a centrally-governed municipality and Vietnam's first heritage and cultural city, the (amended) Cultural Heritage Law plays a crucial role in improving the effectiveness of managing, protecting, and promoting cultural heritage.

After 37 years of waiting, the Miss Vietnam beauty pageant is finally being held for the first time in Hue Imperial Citadel under the unique contexts, as Hue has just officially become a centrally governed municipality, and the city is hosting the National Tourism Year and Hue Festival 2025.

2025 marks the first year of implementing the National Assembly’s Resolution No. 175 on establishing Hue as a centrally-governed municipality, along with the National Assembly Standing Committee’s Resolution No. 1314 on restructuring district- and commune-level administrative units in the newly established Hue City.

On the morning of February 8th (the 11th day of At Ty Lunar New Year, 2025), Trieu Son Dong Village council, in collaboration with Trieu Son Dong neighbourhood group (Huong Vinh Ward, Phu Xuan District), organized the Traditional Boat Racing Festival. The event celebrated Hue’s transition to a centrally-governed municipality as well as the 578th Memorial Day of the Founding Ancestors of Trieu Son Dong Village, while provided a festive atmosphere for locals to enjoy the Lunar New Year.