Hung Yen post-merger: Unlocking tourism potential from fragmentation to convergence

Spiritual cultural tourism – Hung Yen's strength before the merger

Before the merger, Hung Yen was a land rich in cultural heritage. The province boasts 1,803 relics, including 4 special national relic clusters, 177 national relics, 279 provincial relics, and 8 national treasures. Over 500 traditional festivals have been passed down through generations, creating a vibrant cultural tapestry that is rich in history.

The symbol is Pho Hien – a special national relic complex famous for the title “First Kinh Ky, second Pho Hien”. This once-thriving ancient trading port is now a distinctive cultural tourism destination, featuring preserved ancient structures such as Den Mau, Chua Chuong, Van Mieu Xich Dang (over 400 years old), and Dong Do Quang Hoi.

Con Vanh Beach Resort has convenient transportation, pristine scenery, and fresh seafood.

Other spiritual destinations also attract a large number of tourists, such as Chu Dong Tu Temple in Da Hoa and Da Trach (a national historical relic), Phuc Lam Pagoda, along with the Nom Village relic complex preserving ancient beauty with its stone bridge and village gate.

Hung Yen is also famous for hundreds of traditional craft villages, such as Ban Yen Nhan soy sauce village (with rich flavor), Cao Thon incense village (one of the largest traditional incense villages in Vietnam).

Additionally, Hung Yen offers unique tourism products, such as Grand World in Van Giang – a modern urban tourism area featuring Venice and K-Town simulations. Other attractions include VinWonders Wave Park & Water Park, as well as chrysanthemum fields and Sen Ho ecological tourism village.

Ecological beach tourism – Potential strength post-merger

The former Thai Binh province had 54km of coastline in the former Thai Thuy and Tien Hai districts, promising a bright future with Ba Lat estuary, especially the Con Vanh ecological tourism area recognized by UNESCO as a world biosphere reserve, with a diverse mangrove ecosystem attracting eco-tourists, fishing enthusiasts, and nature lovers.

Dong Chau Beach is renowned for its fine white sand, lush casuarina rows, and serene atmosphere. Con Den Beach is considered the most beautiful beach in the North, with romantic scenery, especially the “infinite sea” phenomenon at Thuy Hai during low tide.

The former Thai Binh also hosts numerous spiritual and cultural festivals, such as the Tran Dynasty Temple Festival and the Keo Pagoda Festival, as well as traditional customs and beliefs. The province boasts 585 traditional festivals, 91 handicrafts (including Nguyen village's banh cay, Dong Xam silver carving, Minh Lang embroidery, and Tien Le sedge mat weaving), and 58 folk performing arts.

The Ocean International Lantern Festival, also known as the Eastern Light Festival, took place in Hung Yen from January 18 to March 16, 2025.

Golden opportunity from the merger: Connection is strength

Before the merger, both provinces faced similar issues: tourism was primarily driven by day visitors, with low overnight stays, and tourism products were developed in isolation with limited connectivity.

The combination of cultural tourism and ecological beach tourism allows Hung Yen to build a comprehensive tourism economy, linking cultural development with economic growth. The province has the opportunity to develop unique, highly competitive, and comprehensive tourism routes: cultural heritage tourism (Pho Hien, historical relics), ecological agricultural tourism (craft villages, fields), ecological beach tourism (Con Vanh Biosphere Reserve), spiritual tourism (festivals, temples), and modern urban tourism (Grand World).

In 2024, the separate provinces of Hung Yen and Thai Binh welcomed over 1.5 million visitors (former Hung Yen about 1 million, former Thai Binh about 500,000). In the first half of 2025, tourism activities in the area continued to flourish, with over 2 million visitors (formerly Hung Yen), with total tourism revenue estimated at over 1,000 billion VND.

With this vision, the new Hung Yen province aims to welcome over 4 million visitors in 2025, with total revenue of more than 1,800 billion VND. This is a leap of over 150% compared to 2024 – an ambitious but entirely feasible figure if the integration goals are well implemented.

Pham Van Hieu, Deputy Director of Hung Yen Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, signed Plan No. 40/KH-SVHTTDL on promoting tourism development in Hung Yen in 2025, with the goal of implementing events combined with communication, promotion, and advertising activities about Hung Yen's tourism potential and strengths, linked with the campaign "Vietnam - Travel to Love" and the message "Hung Yen - A Safe, Friendly, Hospitable Destination" to attract tourists to Hung Yen, contributing to achieving the 2025 target of 2.7 million visitors.

With its rich history, beautiful architecture, and unique ancient statues, Chua Chuong - Pho Hien has become an attractive spiritual tourism destination.

Specific development orientation groups

After the merger, the province will focus on developing major tourism product groups such as:

• Cultural and spiritual tourism: Pho Hien, Tran Temple, Keo Pagoda, national historical sites
• River tourism: Hanoi - Hung Yen on the Red River
• Traditional craft village tourism: Tuong Ban, Phu Ung conical hats, Cao Thon incense village
• Agricultural and rural tourism: Chrysanthemum flower fields, eco-tourism villages
• Coastal eco-tourism: Con Vanh (biosphere reserve), Con Den, Dong Chau
• Modern industrial tourism: Grand World, Urban Tourist Attractions.

Since 2022, Hung Yen has signed a tourism development cooperation agreement with provinces and cities in the Red River Delta region (Ninh Binh, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Ha Nam, Nam Dinh). After the merger, the province will continue to expand cooperation, creating attractive inter-regional tourism routes, such as Hanoi - Hung Yen - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh and Hanoi - Hung Yen - Ninh Binh.

Additionally, Hung Yen will focus on investing in upgrading tourism infrastructure, particularly in accommodation facilities. Currently, Hung Yen tourism is primarily geared towards day visitors. To increase overnight stays, more quality hotels, resorts, and homestays need to be developed in key tourist areas.

Furthermore, the province will continue to participate in national and international tourism exhibitions to promote Hung Yen tourism. In 2025, the province will participate in the "Vietnam Tourism, Cultural Heritage, and Scenic Spots" exhibition in Hue, with the theme "Hung Yen Tourism - Connecting Heritage." The province will regularly organize tourism events, such as Culinary Festivals, Culture-Sports-Tourism Weeks, and traditional festivals linked with cultural heritage.

Hung Yen tourism booth at the "Vietnam Tourism, Cultural Heritage, and Scenic Spots" exhibition in Hue.

The merger of Hung Yen and Thai Binh is a golden opportunity for tourism to transform from a standalone activity into a truly spearhead economic sector. With a rich cultural heritage and unique ecological beaches, the new Hung Yen has the full potential to become a leading tourist destination in the North in the coming years. However, success requires the highest determination from the government, close cooperation with businesses, and the right scientific solutions. Then, the goal of 4 million visitors in 2025 will not just be a number, but the beginning of a sustainable, long-term tourism development phase for the province.

Vietnam registers 21.5% surge in foreign tourist arrivals over nine months International visitor arrivals to Vietnam surged 21.5% year-on-year in the first nine months, reaching 15.4 million, the Ministry of Finance’s National Statistics Office reported.

World Travel Awards 2025: Vietnam recognised as Asia’s leading destination for the seventh time On October 13, Vietnam earned the 2025 World Travel Awards (Asia & Oceania) two prestigious titles at: Asia’s Leading Destination and Asia’s Leading Heritage Destination.

Transforming Phu Tho's culture and human resources into a solid foundation and driving force for development WVR - In recent years, the Land of the Ancestors has focused on implementing various solutions to develop Phu Tho's people comprehensively in terms of ...

Vietnam and Maldives pledge to deepen bilateral relations and expand cooperation Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong held a meeting with Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Khaleel in Hanoi on October 24, on ...

Craft Village infrastructure – The lever to lift Hanoi Tourism WVR - In the cultural space of Thang Long-Hanoi, traditional craft villages not only preserve the essence of skilled craftsmanship but also symbolize the resilience, ...