Thủy Xuân incense village has become a familiar stop for visitors to Huế. — Photo vietnamplus.vn

HUẾ — Thủy Xuân incense village in Huế is using social media, digital tourism platforms and e-commerce to promote its traditional products and attract visitors as craft villages embrace digital transformation. 

Located about 7km southwest of central Huế, the village is on Huyền Trân Công Chúa Street, near Tự Đức Tomb, Vọng Cảnh Hill and Từ Hiếu Pagoda. Its location makes it a convenient stop on tourism routes.

The village is known for its colourful incense sticks, with bamboo sticks dyed red, yellow, green and purple at the base. The sticks are bundled and arranged for drying, creating the colourful displays that have become a familiar image of Huế tourism.

Producers now combine incense making with tourism and the sale of souvenirs and gifts. Dozens of establishments in the village demonstrate the craft for visitors, while some also offer áo dài and traditional costumes for rent.

Social media has become an important channel for promoting the village. Visitors often take photos among the colourful incense bundles and share them online.

A search for the hashtag #langhuongthuyxuan on Facebook produces thousands of results, many posted by tourists.

The images have helped spread the village’s name beyond those who already include it in their travel plans. In the past, visitors mainly stopped at Thủy Xuân while visiting nearby attractions such as Tự Đức Tomb and Vọng Cảnh Hill. The village itself is now also attracting visitors interested in its incense-making activities and photo opportunities.

Some establishments have also put their products on e-commerce platforms, giving local incense makers another way to reach buyers outside the area.

Digital tourism services are providing another channel for visitors to find the village.

The Huế Tourism Department operates a Rural Tourism Destination portal featuring information about Thủy Xuân incense village. The website also includes a digital map of rural tourism destinations across the city.

Visitors can use the online information to find the village, check its location and combine it with other destinations before travelling.

Traditionally, incense producers in Thủy Xuân depended mainly on local agents and buyers. The use of digital platforms has added social media, online tourism information and e-commerce to those channels.

The village’s experience is part of the wider application of science, technology and digital transformation encouraged by the Politburo's Resolution No 57-NQ/TW.

For Thủy Xuân, the traditional craft remains at the centre of its activities, while digital platforms provide additional ways to promote the village, reach visitors and sell its products. — VNS