The delegation from Hue City attended the Congress.

During the discussion session, the presentation by Comrade Nguyen Chi Tai, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hue City, clarified Hue's consistent and distinctive development philosophy: taking culture and heritage as the foundation and driving force to build a unique heritage city, a distinctive international-level cultural and tourism center, and making practical contributions to the sustainable development of the country in the new era.

Development based on culture and heritage

Throughout the process of national construction and development, Hue has always been a special highlight with its unique cultural values ​​and heritage, distilled over hundreds of years of history, creating a distinct identity that harmoniously blends the ancient and the modern, man-made elements and the natural environment. Amidst the strong waves of industrialization, urbanization, and commercialization, Hue remains steadfast in choosing a development path based on culture, with heritage as the center, foundation, and driving force for a green, smart, and sustainable urban model.

Comrade Nguyen Chi Tai, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hue City, presented his paper at the Congress.

In practice, this has proven to be a strategic decision, reflecting the long-term vision of the Party Committee, government, and people of Hue City over many terms. Based on the Party's guiding principles on building and developing Vietnamese culture and people, along with resolutions, directives, and action programs from the Central Committee and the City Party Committee, the task of building Hue's culture and people has been implemented comprehensively and systematically, gradually deepening and achieving many important results.

The draft document of the 14th National Congress of the Party clearly defines the viewpoint of "promoting the strength of culture and people as an endogenous resource and a powerful driving force for development." This is also the overarching ideology that the Hue City Party Committee has consistently implemented throughout the process of building and developing the locality. In that spirit, the Hue City Party Committee's presentation at the 14th National Congress, themed "Promoting the strengths of heritage, building Hue into a heritage city, a unique cultural and tourism center of international stature," has contributed vivid practical arguments, clarifying the role of culture and heritage in the national development strategy in the new era.

Hue is a distinctive heritage city of Vietnam. Photo: Dinh Hoang

Affirming its position as a center of unique culture and tourism.

Hue is currently the only locality in the country to possess 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites. In addition, it has nearly 1,000 historical and cultural relics, over 500 festivals of various sizes, 8 national intangible cultural heritage sites, hundreds of ancient temples, a system of memorial sites dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh, and other revolutionary historical relics. This is an invaluable treasure trove of heritage, a unique competitive advantage that no other locality possesses.

Deeply aware of this potential and responsibility, over the years, Hue City has issued numerous resolutions, projects, and specialized programs aimed at preserving and promoting the value of heritage sites in conjunction with socio-economic development, especially tourism and services. Heritage preservation work is increasingly being implemented systematically and scientifically, approaching international standards. Many key structures of the Hue Imperial Citadel Complex have been and are being restored and renovated, such as Kien Trung Palace, Thai Hoa Palace, Hue Citadel, and the Nguyen Dynasty tombs.

Alongside tangible heritage, intangible heritage values ​​such as Hue Royal Court Music, Hue folk songs, traditional festivals, and handicrafts are also emphasized for preservation, transmission, and integration into contemporary life. The royal court cultural space is harmoniously connected with folk and contemporary culture, creating unique artistic products that enrich the spiritual life of the people and enhance the attractiveness of Hue tourism.

The festivals organized create a unique attraction for Hue.

The city has also proactively built and developed distinctive cultural and tourism brands such as "Vietnam Festival City," "ASEAN Cultural City," "Hue - Culinary Capital," and "Hue - Vietnamese Ao Dai Capital." The Hue Festival, held regularly and creatively throughout the four seasons, has become a key highlight in the strategy of promoting Hue's image to the region and the world.

Green, smart, and sustainable heritage cities.

One of the highlights in Hue's development is the harmonious combination of heritage preservation and modern urban construction. The city has gradually taken on the appearance of a "heritage, cultural, ecological, scenic, environmentally friendly, and smart" city. Movements such as "Green Sunday" and "Action to make Hue greener, cleaner, and brighter" have been strongly implemented and spread widely in the community, contributing to the preservation of the landscape, environment, and heritage spaces.

Alongside this, the application of information technology and digital transformation in the cultural and tourism sectors has been emphasized. The cultural industry is gradually taking shape, opening up new avenues for the development of the heritage economy. Hue is also a leading locality in applying techniques for the restoration, reinforcement, and preservation of tangible heritage, while strengthening international cooperation, especially with UNESCO and other prestigious conservation organizations worldwide.

Hue aims to become a green, smart, and culturally rich city. Photo: Dinh Hoang

In practice, Hue's heritage and culture are not only spiritual values ​​but have become an important resource for promoting socio-economic development. Cultural and heritage tourism accounts for a large proportion of the city's tourism structure, contributing to job creation, increasing people's income, and promoting the image of Vietnam and its people to the world.

The challenge between conservation and development

Despite its achievements, Hue still faces numerous difficulties and challenges. Rapid urbanization and the pressures of socio-economic development place increasingly high demands on heritage preservation. Many historical sites are severely degraded while investment resources remain limited. Climate change and increasingly extreme natural disasters also directly impact the heritage system, requiring more adaptive and sustainable conservation solutions.

In the context of digital transformation, the digitization of heritage, the development of digital experiential products, digital museums, and open heritage data are still slow and not commensurate with their potential. Cultural and heritage tourism products are not truly diverse and lack in-depth experiences. There is a shortage of high-quality human resources for conservation, cultural industries, and creative tourism, creating an urgent need for innovation in development models and human resource training.

To elevate Hue to international prominence.

The political report of the 17th Hue City Party Congress sets the goal of building Hue into a distinctive heritage city of Vietnam by 2030, a regional center for culture, tourism, science and technology, education and training, and specialized healthcare; a green, smart, and sustainable city. This is a great aspiration, and also a concrete implementation of the spirit of the 14th Party Congress into the practical conditions of the locality.

The Hue City delegation attended the Congress with 20 delegates.

Based on this, Hue City has identified three strategic pillars: preserving heritage in conjunction with developing a heritage-based economy; building a modern tourism and cultural industry ecosystem; and promoting the people and identity of Hue in the context of integration. The city proposes that the central government soon issue specific mechanisms and policies for Hue, a heritage city, to facilitate the mobilization of social resources and promote public-private partnerships in the sustainable preservation and exploitation of heritage.

To achieve its goals, Hue City is implementing a comprehensive set of solutions, such as raising public awareness of the role of culture and heritage, considering preservation combined with promotion as the responsibility of the entire political system and the people. The focus is on building Hue into a leading cultural and tourist destination in the region through product diversification, development of the night-time economy, regional linkages, and digital transformation in tourism. Resources are being mobilized to restore historical sites, protect unique landscapes; develop cultural industries and the creative economy; while simultaneously preserving traditional arts, promoting contemporary creativity, and training high-quality human resources.

At the same time, we propose that the Government support the construction of a National Heritage Data and Digitalization Center in Hue, invest in tourism infrastructure and regional transportation connections, creating a foundation for Hue to enhance its international competitiveness in the field of culture and tourism.

With a tradition of unity and aspiration for progress, the Party Committee, government, and people of Hue City firmly believe that Hue will continue to leverage its heritage strengths, develop rapidly and sustainably, and live up to its reputation as a heritage city, a unique international-level cultural and tourism center, making a worthy contribution to the overall development of the country.

DUC QUANG

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-polit-xa-hoi/phat-huy-the-manh-di-san-xay-dung-hue-thanh-do-thi-di-san-trung-tam-van-hoa-du-lich-dac-sac-tam-co-quoc-te-162111.html