Awakening the Nighttime Heritage – A Strategic Direction for Hai Phong Tourism

In the context of modern tourism, Hai Phong’s exemplary heritage sites such as Con Son – Kiep Bac, Mao Dien Temple of Literature, Giam Pagoda, Bia Temple, and Bach Dang Giang... still leave an important potential untapped: the nighttime heritage space.

Currently, most activities at Hai Phong’s major heritage sites occur only during the day. Visitors come to explore, offer incense, and learn about history, then leave within a short period. When night falls, these heritage spaces almost completely close. The direct consequence is short visitor stays, low spending, and tourism products that lack depth in experience, despite the rich cultural and historical potential of these sites.

At Con Son – Kiep Bac, nights are filled only with the sounds of insects and darkness over the pine forests. At Mao Dien Temple of Literature or Giam Pagoda, the values of scholars, traditional education, and Dai Viet Buddhism “sleep” when the gates close. Bach Dang Giang, a site marking the nation’s glorious victories, can only be fully appreciated under daylight.

Research and tourism development practice have shown that heritage becomes truly appealing when placed within a multi-layered experiential space, where visitors do not just “see” but also “feel.” Nighttime is ideal for transforming heritage from a static state into a storytelling one.

Hai Phong has its own advantages for developing nighttime tourism at heritage sites. First, there is a diverse heritage system, spanning spiritual, religious, traditional educational, and military history values. Second, there is experience in organizing nighttime cultural spaces in the city, such as walking streets, street art performances, and light festivals. Third, the trend of experiential and cultural-spiritual tourism is increasingly popular, especially among young and international visitors.

Huy Tuan

Huy Tuan