I have silently promised myself to return to A Luoi for many times, yet I have to let go of my desire due to work and the passing of age. Despite not returning yet, this special land has constantly been on my mind.

In the journey to brand itself as “Hue - a heritage city, a green, attractive, and high - end destination” on the global tourism map, Hue is boosting its promotional efforts, particularly by spreading the beauty of its landscapes, culture, and people through international media channels.

A kite originating from Hue, which has been preserved for nearly 60 years in a museum in the United States, was discovered by a Vietnamese restoration expert. Through numerous accompanying documents, together with a passion for cultural roots, that expert “told the story” about how the kite was ordered in Hue Ancient Capital, then taken all the way to the U.S., and became an artistic artifact, etc…. It was truly fascinating.

For centuries, the land of Hue has been renowned for the skillful hands of its artisans. This region is a place not only preserves the cultural heritage of the imperial court, but also serves as the cradle that maintains and develops hundreds of unique traditional craft villages. However, in the face of global integration trends, Hue’s craft villages are confronting numerous challenges.

Although she has never attended any formal art school, Pham Thi Tuong Vi (born in 1992, living at 37/7 Ung Binh, Vy Da Ward) has mastered the art of “dancing” the brush on the traditional conical hat. With her skillful hands and passion for colors, familiar landscapes of her homeland vividly come to life, giving each hat its own distinctive beauty.

Hue culture with its typical characteristics of the land is portrayed through many unique cultural values such as cuisine, clothing, garden house architecture, education, music, theater, language, and poetry. These values have become great potential for Hue to become an important tourist center of Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19, 1945 - August 19, 2025) and the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (September 2, 1945 - September 2, 2025), as well as the celebration of the 17th Party Congress of Hue City, term 2025 – 2030, on the morning of August 19, Hue City People’s Committee held a groundbreaking ceremony for 4 technical infrastructure projects for relocation areas and cemeteries to support land clearance for the high-speed rail project along the North-South route passing through Hue City.

French architectural works in Hue in general, and those located along Le Loi St., in particular, have long been familiar. They are considered the bridges across time, serving as witnesses to the changing face of Hue’s urban landscape through many historical ups and downs.

Through an interdisciplinary approach involving cultural anthropology, sociology, linguistics, and heritage studies, the project “Core elements that create Hue’s identity, a distinctive land in Vietnamese culture - once the Imperial Capital, a center of culture - religion - arts, and a symbol of deep-rooted traditions” seeks to clarify the role and value of Hue’s identity within the broader national culture. At the same time, it suggests directions for sustainable preservation and promotion in the context of modernization and globalization.

Slow travel is emerging as a popular trend among many tourists. With its rich natural landscape, deep cultural and heritage roots, traditional way of life, and the unique warmth of its people, Hue holds many advantages for developing this form of tourism. However, to truly develop slow travel, Hue still has much work to do.