Authorities in Huong Son Commune in Hanoi on March 5 conducted a trial flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to support management of the Huong Pagoda Festival, one of northern Vietnam’s largest pilgrimage events.
The test took place at the Huong Son scenic complex, which is hosting the annual festival and drawing large crowds. Officials said it aimed to assess UAV use for monitoring, cargo transport and environmental management.
State-owned technology firm Tecapro operated the test using UAVs produced by Z113 Factory under the Ministry of National Defence. The drones carried payloads of about 5 kilogrammes over a roughly 1-kilometre route for aerial monitoring of crowds and festival activities.
Flights were conducted at an altitude of about 180 metres, transporting cargo in both directions between the Hang Vo boat pier and designated locations within the heritage complex.
The trial marked an important first step in studying the application of UAV technology to festival management, Nguyen Tien Thang, chief executive of Tecapro, said.
“UAVs can perform various tasks such as area surveillance, cargo transport and supporting security management. In a large and complex terrain like Huong Son, they could significantly assist local authorities in overseeing festival activities,” Thang added.
The drones could also help improve aerial monitoring, enabling authorities to detect potential incidents early and ensure safety and order during the festival.
ccording to the operator, the UAV system can carry up to 100 kilogrammes of cargo per trip, reaching designated points in about five minutes and reducing transport time and manpower.
The trial flights were conducted safely and in line with technical and aviation security requirements.
Tran Duc Hai, party secretary of Huong Son Commune, said the festival area covers a vast mountainous landscape with heritage sites spread across a large area, while current management methods still rely largely on traditional approaches.
However, he said further research would be needed to evaluate the technology’s practical efficiency and economic viability before wider deployment.
Officials said the UAV trial marks a step toward applying technology and digital transformation in festival management, potentially improving oversight, security, environmental protection and services for visitors to the Huong Son heritage site.
