In preparation for becoming a centrally governed city by 2025, Thua Thien Hue Province has been steadily investing in infrastructure, reshaping its urban landscape.
The Da Vien Bridge over the Perfume River, initiated on December 22, 2009, was built with an investment of over VND 730 billion by the Thua Thien Hue Department of Transportation. The bridge spans 542.5 meters in length and 24.5 meters in width, with four traffic lanes and two pedestrian sidewalks. Along its length, six pavilions offer residents and visitors a spot to relax and enjoy the view.
Inaugurated in late August 2012, the bridge has alleviated traffic pressure on Phu Xuan and Truong Tien bridges.
In 2021, Hue City authorities developed a riverside pedestrian walkway along the Perfume River from Da Vien Bridge to Thien Mu Pagoda, with an investment of over VND 90 billion. This 2.9-kilometer-long and 4.5-meter-wide path is paved with granite and equipped with lighting and stone benches, creating a public space for walking and cycling.
Over the past five years, Hue City has continued implementing projects to expand pedestrian paths along both banks of the Perfume River, enhancing public space. More than 10 kilometers of riverside walkways, along with public restrooms, have been constructed to support this vision.
The Thuong Thanh and Eo Bau historical sites near Dong Ba Gate have been restored.
Since 2019, to relocate residents living on these historical sites, authorities have developed a 73-hectare resettlement area in Huong So and An Hoa wards. Over the past three years, more than 2,000 households have moved to this new area, returning the land to the historical sites.
With residents relocated, the original landscape of Hue’s ancient citadel is gradually being restored. Meanwhile, those resettled have established new lives in their communities, creating new urban spaces north of the citadel.
The T2 terminal at Phu Bai Airport, featuring Hue’s imperial architectural style with overlapping roofs, has two floors and a mezzanine, covering a floor area of approximately 22,380 square meters. The new terminal boosts Phu Bai Airport’s capacity from 1.5 to 5 million passengers annually (including 4 million domestic passengers) and can handle up to 2,500 passengers during peak hours.
Construction on Terminal T2 began in December 2019, funded by the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) with a total investment of VND 2,250 billion—roughly one-sixth of Thua Thien Hue’s 2022 state budget revenue.
Inaugurated in June 2023, this terminal has enhanced connections between the ancient capital of Hue and international destinations. Several international routes to Taiwan, China, Thailand, and Japan have been or are being promoted.
An artistic performance event at the Huong River Theater. Located within the Hue Academy of Music campus, the theater’s construction began in 2017 with an investment of VND 178 billion. It was completed in March 2020 but only opened in August 2020. The Huong River Theater has since become a prime venue for major cultural and artistic events in Thua Thien Hue province.
The Aeon Mall Hue shopping center, located in the An Van Duong urban area in An Dong ward, Hue City, spans 8.62 hectares with a total investment exceeding USD 169 million. This is the largest shopping center in Central Vietnam, funded by Japan’s Aeon Mall Corporation.
Standing four stories tall with an additional basement level, Aeon Mall Hue offers approximately 51,000 square meters of rental space. The mall hosts around 140 stores, including entertainment and recreational areas, with 83 stores—about 70%—being brands making their debut in Hue.
After 18 months of construction, the project has introduced a fresh, modern landscape to the new An Van Duong urban area.
The Phu My – Thuan An road, spanning 4.2 km with a width of 36 meters and six lanes, was completed with a total investment of over VND 370 billion and opened in mid-2024. This road links the center of Hue City with Thuan An ward, providing an economic boost for the lagoon and coastal areas.
The Van Nien clean water plant was constructed with an investment of nearly 800 billion VND, providing clean water to over 80% of the residents in Thua Thien Hue province. The facility is located on a 13.5-hectare site in Thuy Bieu Ward, Hue City, and the groundbreaking took place in February 2021.
In the first phase of the project, the contractor built all components to ensure a capacity of 60,000 cubic meters of water per day. The second phase is expected to be completed by the end of this year, increasing the capacity to 120,000 cubic meters per day.
The plant officially began operations and started commercial water supply on September 18, 2023, raising the total clean water supply capacity for the entire province to 300,000 cubic meters per day.
The Phu Son waste-to-energy plant is built on an area of over 11 hectares and can process 600 tons of household waste daily, generating 12 MW/h. Located in Phu Son commune, Huong Thuy town, it was constructed by Everbright Environment (China) in November 2021, with a total investment of approximately 1.7 trillion VND. According to the design, upon completion, the plant will handle about 220,000 tons of waste, producing around 93 million kWh annually.
The facility is expected to address the waste management issue for Thua Thien Hue province without harming the environment. Several landfills, such as Thuy Phuong, which have caused environmental pollution, will also be closed.
The Thuan An coastal bridge broke ground in March 2022, with a total investment of 2.4 trillion VND. The bridge spans 2.36 kilometers, is 20 meters wide, and has four lanes. It begins at Hoang Sa Street in Thuan An Ward and ends at Con Dau in Hai Duong Commune, Hue City. This bridge is part of the coastal road project that runs through Thua Thien Hue province.
The project is part of phase one, which includes the construction of 7.7 kilometers from the Tam Giang bridge junction to the Thuan An coastal bridge, ending at the junction of National Route 49A and National Route 49B in Thuan An Ward, Hue City.
The bridge is expected to be completed by 2025 and will serve as a driving force for the development of coastal tourism and the Tam Giang lagoon. According to the planning, the development of the marine economy and coastal tourism is a key economic pillar for the province.
Chan May Port, located in Loc Vinh Commune, Phu Loc District, has been developed with three berths totaling 910 meters in length, capable of handling 5-6 million tons of cargo per year. The connecting roads to the port have also been fully completed.
According to the overall master plan for the development of Vietnam’s seaport system for 2021-2030, with a vision extending to 2050, Thua Thien Hue seaport has been designated as a type I seaport. The Chân Mây area will include general cargo, container, bulk, and liquid/gas berths, along with facilities for receiving international passenger ships and transferring goods to several countries.
Located in the western part of Thua Thien Hue province, A Luoi district is primarily home to the Ta Oi, Pa Co, and Van Kieu ethnic groups. During the war, A Luoi was situated along the Ho Chi Minh Trail and was one of the fiercest battlefields. Before 2024, A Luoi was still listed among the poor districts in the country.
The expansion of National Route 49 to four lanes has made it easier to connect the center of Hue City with A Luoi district. Over the years, the economy of A Luoi has developed, and the infrastructure has significantly improved. In 2024, A Luoi successfully exited the list of 74 poor districts in the country.
On October 31, the government will present a proposal to the National Assembly to establish Hue as a centrally-controlled city. If approved, Hue will become the sixth city under central authority, following Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, and Can Tho.
