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.

The remarks were made by Cao Xuan Hai, CEO and Founder of HINOKI TAMASHI Vietnam. On the occasion of his visit to Hue to attend the recently held talk “The Journey of Vietnamese Lacquer from Heritage to the Future 1930 - 2030,” he took time to speak with the correspondent of Hue Ngay Nay Cuoi Tuan (Hue Today Weekly), sharing an engaging story about the potential to become Vietnam’s hub for lacquer art creativity.

Lacquer art is not only the pride of the nation’s fine arts, but also an invaluable cultural heritage. This assertion was emphasized by many experts at the seminar “The journey of Vietnamese lacquer from heritage to the future (1930 - 2030)”.

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.

Before flowing into neighboring Laos, the A Sap River gathers alluvial deposits that enrich the riverbanks, creating a vast watershed for the A Luoi region. From this advantage, “fishermen” in the highlands have developed capture fisheries and aquaculture, contributing to the formation of a riverside community - future prosperous “fishing villages” along the river.

Along the coastal regions of Central Vietnam, especially in the city of Hue, seahorses are not only a supplementary source of income for many fishermen but also an indicator of a healthy marine ecosystem. As seahorse populations continue to decline, reproductive research models and collaborations between fishermen and scientific institutions are opening up new hope: preserving this unique species for future generations.

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 not-too-distant future, the more than 120-hectare area south of Hue city center will move beyond being a newly developed site to take shape as a “university city” - a space for living, learning, and creativity, gathering the intellectual elite of Central Vietnam.

Business intertwined with the promotion of Hue's traditional culture is a path that more and more young people are pursuing, asserting the creativity, identity, and spirit of self-reliance. Rather than chasing mass-market trends, “recalling the past to understand the future” has become the business philosophy for a segment of the younger generation, bringing cultural heritage into contemporary life naturally.

In recent years, Hue City has strongly mobilized resources from international organizations to promote green transportation, gradually building a green city with sustainable development.