On October 14 in Hanoi, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Hue City People’s Committee signed an Action plan for cooperation on the development of culture, sports, and tourism through 2030. Hue City is the first locality to sign such a cooperation plan, aiming to tap into the potential and advantages of the city as a heritage city, a Festival City, and a distinctive cultural center of Vietnam.

As Hue moves toward its goal of becoming a distinctive heritage city and a major cultural and tourism hub for Vietnam and Southeast Asia by 2030, external relations, particularly cultural diplomacy, are taking on a strategic role. This is what Vice Chairman of Hue City People’s Committee Tran Huu Thuy Giang announced about how Hue can turn its cultural ‘soft power’ into a driving force for sustainable socio-economic development.

Hue is a heritage city, but Hue’s cultural strength does not lie solely in its citadel, palaces, royal tombs, or historic architecture. Behind these tangible forms of heritage lies a vibrant world of music, festivals, beliefs, traditional crafts, cuisine, clothing, and folk knowledge. This is the ‘soul’ that gives Hue its distinctive identity.

The exhibition, through the language of photography, aims to strengthen Hue City's cultural diplomacy and expand cooperation with diplomatic missions of ASEAN countries in Vietnam. It will also help promote Hue as a heritage city and a distinctive Festival City of Vietnam, as well as an attractive cultural and tourism destination in the Central region. ​

Hue Festival has established the city as a prominent destination on the international cultural map. With Wonderverse Music Fest, Hue is taking a new approach: using music, technology, and creativity to tell the story of its heritage while aiming to build a distinctive festival intellectual property (IP) that will become a signature brand for the city.

In the context of a heritage city that is gradually affirming its position as a distinctive cultural center of the country, the development of reading culture in Hue is no longer a purely promotional issue. Instead, it has become a strategic matter, closely associated with human quality, endogenous strength, and the city’s vision for sustainable development.

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.

As heritage cities around the world search for sustainable development models, the concept of a “living museum city” is emerging as a direction many localities aspire to. With its distinctive cultural heritage and unique identity, Hue has every potential to become a typical example of this model.

Hue is undergoing a powerful transformation as it has become a centrally governed city, not only leveraging its natural advantages and distinctive cultural heritage but also proactively seeking new growth drivers. The development of a green logistics center and the establishment of a Free Trade Zone (FTZ) are viewed as strategic breakthroughs for the Ancient Capital.

Hue City, a distinctive heritage urban area of Vietnam, is gradually transforming its historical and cultural values into economic drivers, creating a sustainable development model that preserves and promotes heritage values.