Musician Trinh Cong Son through the lens of photographer Duong Minh Long

In Doc So (Doc So residential group, Huong An Ward), the craft of making Vietnamese conical hats was once practised in nearly every household. Today, the tradition is at risk of disappearing, with only around 20 people in the village still practising the craft. ​

The final round and award ceremony of the 2026 Cultural and Arts Festival within Vietnam Fatherland Front system, themed ‘Song of Great National Unity’, was held on the afternoon of October 8th by the Standing Board of Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hue City. Mr. Nguyen Chi Tai, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hue City, attended and provided guidance at the event.

As Hue moves toward its goal of becoming a distinctive heritage city and a major cultural and tourism hub for Vietnam and Southeast Asia by 2030, external relations, particularly cultural diplomacy, are taking on a strategic role. This is what Vice Chairman of Hue City People’s Committee Tran Huu Thuy Giang announced about how Hue can turn its cultural ‘soft power’ into a driving force for sustainable socio-economic development.

For over 20 years working as an ao-dai designer, Tran Thien Khanh has brought the images and spirit of Hue to numerous stages near and far. Yet in ‘Huong Ky Uc’ (Fragrance of Memories), he chooses not to portray Hue through grand symbols, but through the hands of his mother, baskets of loc cakes, and the simple, familiar memories of childhood.

It now takes less than 30 seconds to buy an admission ticket, tap a phone against an NFC station to learn about a heritage site, or scan a QR code to listen to an electronic guide. Exploring Hue’s heritage is becoming possible through an expanding range of new approaches.