In the early summer morning mist, while the weather still carries a hint of chilly breeze, many people passing by Tinh Tam Lake inside Hue Citadel feel as though they have “wandered into a serene space”, where some brew tea, some enjoy tea, others gently pick lotus blossoms, while locals and visitors take the opportunity to pose for photos with the blooming lotus flowers… Tinh Tam has long been a famous scenic spot, once listed by Emperor Thieu Tri as one of the “Twenty finest landscapes of the Imperial Land”. Contributing greatly to the fame of this landmark is the white lotus, also known as the “royal” lotus.

More than half a century since the homeland’s liberation (March 26, 1975 – March 26, 2026), Hue’s urban landscape has undergone significant transformation, marked by newly widened roads, bridges spanning rivers and lagoons, modern urban zones, and an increasingly synchronized technical infrastructure system.

After five editions, the VnExpress Marathon Hue has made tangible contributions to the city’s overall development landscape. Its sixth edition (taking place from April 17 to 19) is no exception, promising to provide a strong impetus for Hue’s strategy in developing sports, tourism and socio-economic growth.

In March, as late spring draws to a close and gives way to the first heat of early summer, the parasol trees in the Imperial Palace burst into bloom. Their canopies of soft pink-purple flowers, scattered across an ancient expanse of deep green, create a poetic and dreamlike landscape that captivates all who visit.

Production lines operating across industrial parks, new factories set to break ground, and infrastructure projects nearing completion are all helping shape Hue’s emerging industrial landscape, raising expectations for a strong growth driver in 2026.

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.

The city has undergone a process of accumulation and infrastructure investment, transforming its urban landscape. Completed urban infrastructure projects have largely met the requirements for connecting the central urban area with satellite towns, creating momentum for the city’s socio-economic development.

The year 2026 opens the 2026–2030 period, marked by increasingly fierce competition to attract resources, talent, and visitors, while Hue cannot pursue rapid urbanization or heavy industry. Hue’s path must be its own: taking heritage, culture, landscape, and ways of life as deep, distinctive, and sustainable advantages; taking creativity and experience as driving forces; and placing the people of Hue at the center of all development policies.

In the process of expanding the urban space and shaping new growth poles, Hue is racing against time to complete a series of key driving projects. Each project carries the expectation of creating a modern development space, promoting regional connectivity, and shaping a new urban landscape of Hue.

Once being the Imperial Capital under the Nguyen Dynasty, Hue has undergone many historical phases, and today the city is regarded as one of Vietnam’s few cities where multiple architectural traditions coexist. It brings together folk, royal, colonial, and modern styles, developing in a way that balances the architecture, landscape, and culture, forming a distinctive urban identity.