A corner of a house of a resident of Con Hen. Photo: HA OAI

From "suspended planning oasis"

Having lived in Con Hen for many years, Mr. Tran Minh Tich has deeply understood the hardships that the people here have to endure, “unable to leave, unable to stay” because of the long-standing planning suspension. Every rainy, stormy and flood season, Con Hen is like an oasis cut off in the middle of the Huong River, and the lives of the people are immersed in anxiety.

Local people believe that for a long time, Con Hen was "forgotten". In 1998, Con Hen was planned to become a high-class tourist area. However, for decades, the suspended planning has hindered the lives of hundreds of households, houses cannot be repaired, land cannot be transferred, and many aspirations cannot be realized. It was not until 2022 that the Provincial People's Committee (now Hue City) officially abolished the old planning, opening up an opportunity to renovate and develop this land.

Mr. Tran Minh Tich expressed: “After many years of living in a suspended planning, we were overwhelmed when we heard that the city invested nearly 1,000 billion VND to renovate Con Hen. This is not only an infrastructure project, but also a belief for people to feel secure in staying and building their lives. Con Hen will soon wear a “new coat”.

Expect change

According to the plan, the project will build a precast concrete embankment about 3.2km long surrounding Hen Islet, preventing landslides and ensuring safety during the rainy and stormy season. On the embankment, there will be a water wharf, flood gates, and a 2.5km long road on top of the embankment. Along the riverbank, the landscape space is decorated with trees, miniature landscapes, walkways, parking lots and lighting systems, creating a place for community activities and attracting tourists.

Ung Binh road - the main artery of Con Hen is also upgraded with a length of nearly 200m. Road infrastructure alone has accounted for more than 925 billion VND, of which about 445 billion VND is for compensation and site clearance. The project is expected to be implemented in 4 years, starting from 2026.

According to statistics, about 6.25 hectares of land were affected, of which 3.72 hectares were recovered. A total of 267 households were affected, of which 178 households will have to relocate for resettlement. Mr. Ngo Thuy, an elder in Con Hen, said: “After many years of waiting, we are very happy. People are willing to hand over the land and resettle in a new place so that the project can be implemented smoothly. When the project is completed, the rainy and stormy season will be less worrisome, Con Hen will no longer be an isolated island.”

In the stories with the people, the most mentioned thing is Phu Luu bridge - the only bridge connecting Hen islet with the center of Hue city. Every flood season, the water level of Huong river rises, the bridge is flooded, Hen is almost isolated, making travel, study, rescue and relief difficult. "What we hope for most is to have a new, solid bridge. Thanks to that, it will be more convenient for children to go to school, people to go to work, and tourists to visit more easily", shared Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan, a long-time resident here.

According to the plan, Phu Luu bridge will be newly built with permanent reinforced concrete structure, ensuring safety and sustainability. This is not only an essential infrastructure project but also a "strategic link", opening up opportunities for socio -economic development for Con Hen.

The project to renovate Hen Islet is also expected to create a breakthrough in tourism. Located in the middle of the Huong River, possessing ecological potential, Hen Islet has long been famous for its special, popular dishes made from mussels such as vermicelli with mussels, mussel rice... When the infrastructure is spacious and the landscape is neat, this place promises to become a unique community tourism destination, bringing new livelihoods to the people.

Con Hen - an alluvial sandbank in the middle of the Perfume River with an area of ​​nearly 33 hectares, located in Vy Da ward (Hue city). This place has many residents living here for many generations; it is a destination for tourists to check-in and enjoy Hue specialties associated with mussel rice/noodle soup, corn sweet soup...

PHONG ANH

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/ky-vong-vao-du-an-chinh-trang-con-hen-158001.html