Hue turns heritage into festival space, expanding tourism attraction

(Dan Tri) - Instead of relying on familiar relic tours, Hue chose a new approach, using music, festivals and large-scale art events as "magnets" to attract tourists.

For a long time, Hue City has been mentioned as an ancient, quiet land, associated with famous heritages such as the Imperial City, Nguyen Dynasty tombs, Huong River or Ngu Mountain.

However, in recent years, the city has made an important shift in its approach to tourism development. Instead of focusing solely on heritage preservation, Hue has begun to combine it with contemporary cultural and artistic activities to create new appeal.

Performing Royal Court Music - a unique feature of Hue culture (Photo: Visithue).

Instead of just being a destination for traditional sightseeing itineraries, Hue is gradually asserting its position as a "festival city" - where heritage and music intersect.

One of the notable milestones is the Mega Booming Hue 2025 music festival - the highlight of the closing ceremony of National Tourism Year 2025 - taking place on December 21.

The event will be held right at Ngo Mon Square - the heart of the ancient capital of Hue. The heritage space will be transformed into a modern music stage, combining visual performances, stage technology and reenacted royal rituals such as the court ceremony, the changing of the guard ceremony...

The concert brings together many artists such as Isaac, Hoang Dung, B Ray, Quan AP, Pham Anh Khoa, LyLy, Neko Le... promising to bring a vibrant performance, suitable for many audiences at home and abroad.

Flag tower in front of Ngo Mon Square - Hue Citadel relic (Photo: Vi Thao).

According to the organizers, the difference of the music night is not only in its scale, but also in the way the event is linked to tourism products. Attendees can choose to combine visiting relics, enjoying the music festival and experiencing local cuisine.

Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the Imperial City, the Nguyen Dynasty royal tombs and enjoy Hue beef noodle soup - a dish recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Instead of organizing a standalone event, this approach turns the music festival into a part of the journey to discover Hue, helping to increase the value of the experience and bring visitors closer to the local culture.

December is usually the low season for tourism in Hue. Organizing a major music event at this time not only adds vitality to the local tourism industry but also helps extend the tourist season, increasing the number of domestic and international visitors.

The “event tourism” model is not new in the world. A typical example is Taylor Swift’s The Eras tour , each stop brings economic impact of hundreds of millions of dollars to the host cities.

International tourists enjoy watching the reenactment of the Thiet Trieu ceremony in front of Thai Hoa Palace (Photo: Vi Thao).

In Vietnam, Ha Anh Tuan's shows in Da Lat, Ninh Binh, Hoi An or programs like Anh trai vu ngan cong gai , Anh trai say hi also recorded similar effects when the number of tourists increased dramatically during the time of organization.

These examples show that music can absolutely become a powerful catalyst to promote tourism, opening up a sustainable development direction for cultural destinations.

This is also Hue's way of keeping up with the growing trend of "event tourism" in the world - using festivals, music and cultural experiences as the driving force to attract tourists.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/hue-bien-di-san-thanh-khong-gian-le-hoi-mo-rong-suc-hut-du-lich-20251017175508842.htm