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.
A performance of Royal Court Music for tourism
The past and future connected
With the advantage of being a land rich in heritage and cultural values, Hue possesses an extraordinarily diverse and abundant treasure of UNESCO heritage, making it a unique advantage for multi-sector development. With eight UNESCO-recognized world heritages, including six of its own, Hue holds a special position not only in Vietnam but also in Southeast Asia.
According to Hoang Viet Trung, Director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center, Hue's outstanding advantage lies in the diversity and interconnection of its heritage. The Complex of Hue Monuments is not merely an architectural structure but also a repository of royal court music, and poetry inscribed on architecture, a system of waterways, landscapes, and greenery.
“This interplay creates an integrated cultural experience, totally distinct from the standalone heritages in other localities,” Mr. Trung said. This opens up opportunities to develop multidimensional experiential tourism models, combining sightseeing, art appreciation, and historical learning. Moreover, both tangible and intangible heritage paves the way for Hue to develop a unique cultural and creative industry.
On that foundation, the heritage economy in Hue not only focuses on preserving cultural, architectural, and scenic values but also aims to develop a cultural industry rooted in heritage, promote heritage tourism, and generate sustainable revenue to reinvest in conservation and create new economic value from traditional beauty.
At the recent international forum “Directions for the Development of Heritage Economy, Green Economy, and Digital Economy in Hue,” Dr. Reigh Young Bum, Chairman of the Korea Architectural and Urban Research Institute (AURI), emphasized the need for a creative approach to preserving Hue's valuable cultural heritage while promoting the local economy - that is, combining the green economy with information technology.
Museum Complex: A "Goldmine" for the cultural economy
Hue holds exceptional potential to develop a green economy and digital economy, leveraging cultural heritage as the foundation. To this end, the strategic solutions, according to experts, include combining the heritage economy, green economy, and digital economy.
"Hue should establish a museum complex integrated with a commercial center and creative space," Dr. Reigh Young Bum proposed. Such a space would not merely display historical artifacts but also become a lively environment recreating time and history through technology and interactive experiences.
Museums play a crucial role in enhancing the competitiveness of cities. For example, London, one of the world’s leading cultural cities, has succeeded by owning 250 theaters and 25 top free museums, magnetizing up to 20 million international visitors annually. This is a valuable lesson to which Hue can refer.
Therefore, according to the Chairman of AURI, a comprehensive cultural ecosystem would not only promote historical tourism but also provide opportunities for local people to engage in creative activities. This approach would help Hue accumulate social capital, creating a space where people can work, innovate, and connect.
Globally, cities like Paris, New York, and London not only stand out for their heritage but also know how to "activate" these values through creativity and technology. For example, Paris is renowned for vibrant museums like the Louvre, which uses interactive technology to deepen visitors' understanding of artwork. Similarly, the American Museum of Natural History in New York exemplifies AR technology applications, offering unique experiences that attract visitors of all ages.
London, with free museums like the British Museum, has established itself as a cultural and friendly city, while also boosting revenue through associated services like souvenirs and food. "Hue can learn from and adapt these models, combining them with Vietnam's cultural identity to create distinctiveness," Dr. Reigh Young Bum suggested.
Attraction for tourism
The unique combination of different forms of heritage creates opportunities to integrate tourism, culture, education, technology, and creativity. These initiatives not only preserve heritage values but also bring fresh appeal for tourism.
According to Mr. Hoang Viet Trung, the models for developing the heritage economy, green economy, and digital economy can be based on five pillars that Hue currently possesses. These include 1. developing the medical heritage space of the Imperial Medicine Institute (with healthcare services for visitors and accompanying products); 2. exploiting the system of citadel waterways (organizing ecological river tours combined with historical reenactments to increase Hue's appeal); 3. leveraging the Upper Citadel space (to form experiential tourism tours); 4. strengthening heritage education and organizing cultural festivals along with specialized festivals in court music, martial arts, and royal ceremonies; 5. applying digital technology and digital museums based on heritage (recreating lost structures or royal ceremonies to provide a unique experience for visitors and generate revenue from online ticket sales). Additionally, the revised Cultural Heritage Law, effective from July 1, 2025, will provide a legal foundation for Hue to better exploit its existing cultural heritage resources.
The ancient capital of Hue is not only a "living museum" of Vietnamese culture but also has the potential to become a center for creativity and international connectivity. "With the harmonious combination of preservation and development, the heritage economy will be the gateway to a new future for Hue: modern, dynamic, yet retaining the 'soul' of the ancient capital."
Story and photo: Lien Minh
