Without merging with any province or city, what does Hue gain and lose?

According to researcher Nguyen Xuan Hoa - former director of the Department of Culture and Information of Thua Thien Hue , if new development spaces are not opened, Hue will fall behind other localities after the merger - Photo: NHAT LINH

What does Hue gain and lose by not merging?

* Hue City is one of 11 localities that are not subject to merger with other provinces and cities. So, in your opinion, what will Hue gain and lose if it remains the same?

- This has two sides, not merging will create conditions for Hue to focus on promoting and preserving the unique cultural identity of the ancient capital. That cultural identity will not be mixed, not mixed with peripheral elements.

Of course, the disadvantage is that new capacities for development are not added. For example, if Hue were to merge with Quang Tri , this land would have many strengths such as having Highway 9 connecting the western gateway to Laos, having fertile basalt land in the west...

Typical urban space in Hue City - Photo: NHAT LINH

Preserving culture and identity but still need to expand development space

The merger will open up a new development space, adding new capacities, which is very valuable for each province and city. But when Hue is not merged, and is not supplemented with new development capacities, Hue will retain its unique cultural characteristics, thereby promoting its value.

* So the question is, what will Hue have to do to develop in the new period, when everyone around is stronger after the merger, sir?

- The problem for Hue is that now there must be a strategy to do two things at the same time. One is to preserve and promote Hue's identity. Two is that Hue must create its own development corridors based on its existing internal strength. If it stops and does not open up new development spaces, Hue will slow down, while all other places have new development spaces and new markets.

Hue now only has a domestic consumer market of about 1.2 million people, while Quang Binh and Quang Tri have a new market of more than 1.8 million people. Or Da Nang , from a city with about 1.2 million people, equal to Hue, now has 3 million people.

Hue needs to develop marine economy

* What do you think that strategy is?

- In my opinion, the rearrangement of wards and communes, and the abolition of the district level, will also create a new urban development space for Hue that the government needs to exploit to the fullest. After this rearrangement, with a scale of 21 wards and 19 new communes, Hue will actually expand its new urban space even more strongly than the last time, when localities merged to meet the standards from a province to a city directly under the Central Government.

The coastal lagoon area in Hue is still pristine, with many conditions for tourism development - Photo: NHAT LINH

Looking at the map, the coastal and lagoon areas of Hue have become large wards and communes under the city. If we look at the standards, these are not yet urban areas, but with the new mechanism, these lands will enjoy policies, opening up an opportunity for Hue to develop its marine economy.

In the future, after the completion of the Thuan An seaport overpass, it will connect the coastal areas and lagoons of Hue into one strip. This area opens up opportunities to create high-class coastal urban areas.

The second factor is the plans to develop Hue into a city directly under the Central Government, which have remained almost unchanged due to the merger. This is an advantage for Hue, the problem is how do we implement these plans?

Currently, Hue has 3 vertical development spaces based on 3 routes in the North - South direction: National Highway 1, coastal road and Ho Chi Minh road in the West.

To create new advantages, Hue needs to have a development strategy based on horizontal development corridors, creating routes connecting Hue's seaports (Thuan An port, Chan May port) with border gates and economic zones trading through Laos in the west (Hong Van border gate, A Dot border gate).

If there is a strategy, Hue will not be confined in a narrow space and still exploit its strengths well for development.

Tourists visiting Hue Imperial City - Photo: TRAN THIEN

As for preserving and promoting Hue's cultural values, as the UNESCO representative said, Hue's culture must always be new. The reason why Hue's culture is so unique, everyone acknowledges it, but people often choose to visit Hue less than other places is because in addition to the need to learn about culture, we also have the need to enjoy and discover new things.

Hue must add many entertainment, experience and resort spots to attract and enhance the beauty of the ancient capital that "can be found nowhere else".

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khong-sap-nhap-voi-tinh-thanh-nao-hue-duoc-va-mat-gi-2025051516351298.htm