Hue construction and transport report

Wandering with cows in abandoned new urban areas, a new megamall, how the high-speed rail will make Hue and Danang commuter cities, and the case of the proposed tramway

Author

James Clark
December 19, 2024

The historic city of Hue is famous for the old citadel and other relics from when Hue was the imperial capital of Vietnam. Beyond the historic buildings, Hue is a growing provincial capital with new urban areas and industrial estates.

The citadel is what most people associate with Hue

Hue is the capital of Thua Thien Hue province, though this is about to change. Thua Thien Hue province will become the federally managed Hue city on January 1, 2025. Hue will join Hanoi, Hai Phong, Danang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho as a centrally administered city.

I’ve often thought that Hue should be more famous internationally. It has many physical similarities to Chiang Mai, yet it only has a fraction of the international flights compared to Chiang Mai. Will the elevation to city status be the beginning of a new era for Hue?

I visited Hue in November 2024, during its last months as a provincial capital. I was interested in the status of some of the new urban areas and how they might be integrated into the future high-speed railway. There is also a proposal for a tramway, so I visited some roads to see how it would look.

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