Developing Chan May-Lang Co beyond simply an economic zone will create new breakthroughs, Photo: Nguyen Phong

Back in December 2019, the Politburo issued a resolution on the vision of Thua Thien-Hue towards 2030 and beyond. The document defined the direction throughout the process of construction and development of the whole province.

As part of the plans, Thua Thien-Hue will become a city under the central government on the basis of preserving and promoting the value of the ancient capital’s heritage and Hue’s cultural identity.

Le Truong Luu, Secretary of Thua Thien-Hue Party Committee, said that the province is deeply aware that Hue is an invaluable asset left by ancestors, not only belonging to the locality but also the whole nation.

“During this development process, the province puts the task of preserving cultural and heritage values at the top. The construction of a modern urban area that meets development requirements is an important and necessary factor that any locality should focus on investing in,” said Luu.

To carry out this task, the province determines that it must be cautious, considering how to ensure harmony for development. The problem of conflicts between conservation and development, as well as the relationship between economic and cultural development, has also posed many obstacles for Hue over the years.

“The orientation of building a heritage city for Thua Thien-Hue requires a new approach, a new perspective for development, and needs specific mechanisms and policies for Hue to implement,” added Luu.

The province has many new advantages for the development of tourism, culture, education, healthcare, public science, and technology centres; as well as tourist attraction and economic development associated with services, helping locals quickly increase their incomes.

From the perspective of state management, Nguyen Van Phuong, Chairman of Thua Thien-Hue People’s Committee said, “As a city under the central government, Thua Thien-Hue would be able to attract major investors, with strong potential for research and development of production and business activities as well as filling industrial areas such as Chan May-Lang Co Economic Zone (EZ), among others. Thereby, stimulating development and creating better conditions to invest in various industries.”

The province determines that moving towards becoming a centrally run urban area will promote economic development and change the labour structure to gradually shift from agriculture to services, construction, and tourism. Along with that, it can create conditions to improve quality of life, entice investment capital for urban development, and preserve monuments and heritages.

On this journey, the province is also steadfast with the guideline that development must fit alongside the protection and preservation of the natural environment, the values of the natural landscape, and the living environment. It will selectively develop many spearhead industries that meet environmental criteria, without accepting environmental trade-offs for economic benefit.

Fully-fledged urban area

According to Thua Thien-Hue’s planning, the Chan May-Lang Co area could play a key role in local economic development by becoming a fully-fledged city and general urban area. Chairman Phuong said Chan May-Lang Co will be a clean industrial area, a seaport, a modern international trade centre, and a tourism and commercial city of national and international stature of the central dynamic region, closely linked with nearby Danang.

“The formation and development of Chan May-Lang Co is the right vision. In the future, becoming a city would help connect and share benefits with the development of Lien Chieu Seaport in Danang on the other side of Hai Van Pass, which can become a logistics port because of its geographical advantage with large development space,” he stated.

To realise the vision of a modern coastal city, attracting a high-quality labour force to work and live, the province is adjusting the planning of Chan May-Lang Co EZ. The new point in adjusting the general planning for the construction of the EZ this time is to expand the industrial development space, and create available land to draw in projects in construction and business with large-scale and branded infrastructure.

At the same time, Thua Thien-Hue is also redefining the development space of the Chan May Port area to increase the length of the wharf operation, and form and develop logistics centres, and inland port systems.

“Connecting the EZ with the planning orientation for the Lang Co-Canh Duong national tourist area by 2030, and adjusting the development orientations of high-class resort tourism and casino entertainment services by 2045, is in line with the vision of the whole EZ,” Phuong said.

Outstanding modern portrait

According to the province, the adjustment of the planning will update the high-speed railway on the north-south axis passing through the Chan May urban area; in which there is a station layout in central Chan May with an expected scale of about 200 hectares to create an architectural highlight and increase the value of land in the surrounding area.

At a recent planning conference, Tran Dinh Thien, former director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics, acknowledged that Thua Thien-Hue should focus on planning Chan May-Lang Co in the direction of an “outstanding modern urban portrait” and not simply a slowly rising city.

He said that the new city will be in a “well-matched” position with Hue capital as well as Danang across the bay.

According to Thien, the EZ already has Chan May Port, which brings in large cruise ships and thousands of tourists. “The development of a modern city here will create new breakthroughs for this province. If Thua Thien-Hue sets out unique goals at a national level, with good solutions and accompanied by strategic investors, then there will be specific mechanisms, policies, and support resources from the central government,” he said.

“Chan May-Lang Co is a treasure because it has a flat natural terrain, a beautiful long coastline, a natural deepwater port, and a completed tunnel connecting to Danang. But to develop properly with its potential and advantages, Chan May-Lang Co needs to attract top investors,” Thien said.