Ngu Ha River. Photo: N. Phong

The emperors who lived nearly 200 years ago had a profound view of the role of the Perfume River not only in the feng shui of the Hue Citadel, but also in the vitality of people. However, there are still many sediments of the Perfume River that we have not yet fully discovered . Researcher Ho Tan Phan spent his entire life collecting pieces of pottery, jars, bowls and plates salvaged from the bottom of the Perfume River and from there, many things about culture and history were revealed. Part of that collection and many other sources were brought back by Dr. Thai Kim Lan to build the Perfume River Ceramic Museum.

With an assumption, if nature had not bestowed this land with the Perfume River, we would certainly not have the Hue Citadel, nor the Hue city as it is today. The Perfume River is the main landscape axis, the soul that forms the history and culture of Hue.

There was a time when, due to history, management and awareness, the Huong River and its tributaries were considered the “back side” of life. Not long ago, the banks of the Kim Long, Dong Ba, Chi Lang, Ke Van, Nhu Y rivers were all used by people as the back side of their houses. Most of the residents on the riverbanks faced the street and turned their backs to the river. And according to living habits, the front side was always taken care of and cleaned up, while the back side became a place where all the filth from littering to toilets was accumulated. At that time, the river became a “garbage treatment” system, making the river so polluted that no one dared to get involved.

Fortunately, with the development, both the government and the people gradually “awakened” and the boat people were cleared. Riverside walking routes began to be formed to make the river greener and greener. However, there are still many areas where people still turn their backs on the rivers.

In Feng Shui theory, an ancient science that has been applied by our ancestors for generations, rivers, lakes, etc. with water elements are considered Minh Duong when building houses. Minh Duong is a place to welcome light to illuminate life, making it bright and purified. It is interesting that we recently conducted a small survey with some residential areas along the riverbank, such as Chi Lang, Nhu Y, etc. and obtained thoughtful results. For families who build houses facing the river, the percentage is very small, but almost every family has children who study well and have a bright future when they grow up. Meanwhile, many families turn their backs on rivers, the percentage of children dropping out of school, falling into vices, and the family situation is increasingly falling into a deadlock and decline is very high.

In a press conference a few years ago, we presented the results of this survey to the provincial leaders and proposed that there should be a plan so that people would no longer turn their backs on the rivers. That idea was accepted by the provincial leaders and to date, many riverside promenades have been cleared and built. Since then, the banks of the rivers have been increasingly cleaned and beautified. The Perfume River in the city center has now become a beautiful landscape area, the pride of Hue because of its purity and poetic beauty.

A positive sign in the current “awakening” economic trend when “river view” is considered a “hot spot”, “hot land” in real estate for business service locations. In addition, a community project has repainted the walls of riverfront houses for households along the Bao Vinh riverbank, creating a new color for the river…

That is not enough, when the potential of the rivers has not yet been truly awakened. The value of the rivers has not yet been exploited to bring economic and income for growth. We have the right to expect electric taxi routes along the river to reduce the pressure on road traffic, luxurious and modern marinas on the river and each family along the river is a luxury yacht owner to participate in the tourism business like Venice, Italy...

Those are the expectations for the future. First of all, for the people living along the river in Hue, one thing that can be done immediately to bring vitality and a clean environment to their own families in particular and to Hue in general, is to not turn away from the river!

Bui Ngoc Long