Dr Phan Thanh Hai, Director of Hue Monuments Conservation Centre. Photo: Dong Van
On April 22nd 2017, Hue officially opened the Imperial City at night to the public. For further information about this program, Dr Phan Thanh Hai, Director of Hue Monuments Conservation Centre, shared:
Opening the Imperial City at night isn’t for economic purposes, but more importantly we hope to create a new tourist attraction in the Ancient Capital. We originally intended to open from the 22th of April to mid-September. This is the time of the year with the most favorable weather, but after receiving positive feedback, this program might last till the end of the year.
The Imperial City used to be opened to the public during Hue Festivals, but the economic benefits and sustainability were not high enough. On what accounts does the Centre continue with this new program?
Dr Phan Thanh Hai: Hue is currently seeing a great increase in tourism. In 2016, the province had 3 million visitors, and the Complex of Hue Monuments alone welcomed 2.7 million visitors. Other than Ca Huế on the Huong River, there is a shortage of activities such as sightseeing or exploration activities for visitors at night. We also had feedback from many tourists and various travel agencies about a desire to visit the Royal Palace of Hue at night. The Imperial City not only has the advantage of being located in the center of the city, but its spatial, architectural and cultural aspects also make it a tourist attraction worth visiting and exploring.
Hue officially opened the Imperial City at night to the public from April 22nd, 2017. Photo: Dong Van
About the program, what is the difference between a day tour and a night tour of the Imperial City?
Dr Phan Thanh Hai: We do receive quite a lot of inquires about this matter when promoting the program in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. The Imperial City at night has its own advantages. We can take advantage of the darkness to adjust the lighting for the purpose of creating the fancy sparkles of the Royal Palace and weaving historical stories into it. More art shows will be held, with richer content and at different places.
You mentioned “taking advantage of” light and darkness, then how would the Imperial City be laid out so that it would be both artistic and safe for the tourists?
Dr Phan Thanh Hai:Surely the lighting system must ensure the minimum light, enough for the tourists not to trip over their own feet or fall down, and there will be guidance signs. With regard to day time visitors, the system also needs to be arranged appropriately for the sake of aestheticism. This is a hard problem, and we have high requirements with the designers and the implementers. Also, light is purposefully used, so it must be artistic. We and the contractor are committed to the creation of a new atmosphere in the Imperial City for tourists to experience at night.
Visiting the Imperial City at night, how well can visitors interact with the attraction?
Dr Phan Thanh Hai: With this new program, we are trying to increase the interaction between hands-on experiences and our guests, such as: royal games, art performances and traditional handicraft-making demonstrations… We will do our best to perfect the interactive activities and in the near future, enhance them via virtual reality experience.
What is your greatest concern before the grand opening of the Imperial City at Night?
Dr Phan Thanh Hai: In order for the program to have a successful opening and to become a unique, sustainable tourism product of Hue, only efforts from the Centre alone aren’t enough. We need collaboration with provincial departments, travel agencies, and accommodation services. If successful, Hue Imperial City will become the only heritage site in Asia to welcome visitors day and night.
It should also be noted that he Imperial City at Night program is only our initial effort to turn this site into a tourist attraction bearing Vietnamese cultural heritage. We are also going to arrange and renew services inside the Imperial City as well as other monuments, and are ready to cooperate with businesses – especially local businesses to create new tourism products and activities at the Complex of Hue Monuments.
Thank you for your time.
Author: Dong Van