 |
| A footage from an experiential video of Mr. Dao Huu Quy |
Hue stories go on social media
Recently, the TikTok channel of Mr. Dao Huu Quy, has gained attention for its portrayals of Hue’s culture. His content typically focuses on traditional cuisine, craft villages, and the everyday stories of local life. Rather than relying on elaborate production techniques, the videos are grounded in the creator’s own firsthand experiences.
According to Mr. Quy, each content creator brings a distinct storytelling approach. He said: “There are many creators on social media, and everyone engages audiences in their own way. I prefer a more authentic style, I experience a craft or a dish firsthand, feel it, and then share it from a personal perspective”.
What has impressed Quy most is the audience’s response. In many videos featuring traditional dishes, he has received comments from older viewers. “Many people in their 50s to 70s have shared that it has been a long time since they last saw these dishes or crafts. That’s exactly what I hope to achieve, preserving memories once experienced by previous generations that are gradually fading,” he shared.
A distinctive feature in Quy’s videos is the presence of ao-dai. At first, he focused on sharing Hue’s traditional dishes and old crafts, but later decided to wear ao-dai in every video as part of his personal style. He shared: “A friend once asked me that as a child of Hue, why didn’t I create a stronger impression beyond my voice or content. Then I realized my previous work was closely associated with ao-dai, and Hue itself is deeply connected with this traditional attire, so I decided to wear it in my videos. It’s also a way to promote the image of Hue”.
Hue is also home to many other young people who are contributing to the promotion of the city’s image in their own ways. Pages such as Trân Ơi and Về Huế Đi Em regularly share photos and videos capturing nature, streets, and the rhythms of everyday life. Simple frames of the Perfume River, little streets, or familiar coffee corners together paint a portrait of Hue that is intimate, unpretentious, and deeply evocative. It is precisely this simplicity in storytelling that sparks curiosity among viewers, especially those who have never visited Hue, and inspires a desire to experience it firsthand. The diversity in these stories, from preserving cultural memories to capturing everyday moments, is gradually shaping an “emotional map” of Hue across the digital landscape.
An invitation
Alongside personal channels and fan pages, several artistic projects are also leveraging social media to creatively promote the image of Hue. A notable example is the program “H.U.É - When Beauty Speaks”, produced by a group of young creators from Hon Viet Event.
The program is held every 2 to 3 months at iconic locations across Hue City, such as along the banks of the Perfume River or in traditional Ruong houses in Khe Tre. Rather than opting for grand stages, H.U.É places music within everyday spaces, where natural landscapes and human emotions blend seamlessly together.
According to Mr. Hoang Tien Nghia, one of the three co-founders of Hon Viet Event, recording and publishing videos is a way for the project to reach a wider audience. He said: “If live performances can only serve a limited number of viewers at a given time, then videos on social media can continue telling Hue’s story to many more people, across different places”.
Excerpts from live performances are often shared on platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, capturing moments when music resonates amid the city’s poetic natural landscapes. “Social media serves as a bridge that allows H.U.É to move beyond its local scope. The Groups of audience from different places can experience the atmosphere and spirit of the program through short videos,” Hoang Tien Nghia shared.
In fact, many audiences have discovered the program through videos on social media and later sought it out when visiting Hue. Clips capturing sunsets over Ironwood Bridge or the musical ambiance at Quoc Hoc Stele Park along the Perfume River have drawn significant attention from viewers.
Nghia informed that, in the future, social media could become a “tourism channel”, as once viewers can feel the atmosphere of a sunset by the Perfume River or a live music performance set in nature, they are more likely to develop the desire to visit and experience it in person.
From that perspective, short videos are not merely a form of entertainment but can also serve as an invitation to travelers. As images, music, and stories about Hue are shared naturally, social media is bringing Hue Ancient Capital closer to the public, especially younger people.
To sustain this trend over the long term, stronger support and clearer direction for cultural and tourism content creation will be crucial. By enabling young people who are passionate about Hue to tell their stories more professionally, digital platforms can evolve into a powerful promotional tool, further enhancing Hue Ancient Capital’s appeal on the tourism map.