Within the framework of Vietnam - Laos special friendship cooperation program (from October 22-26), a delegation from Hue City People's Council, led by Mr. Nguyen Quang Tuan, Member of the Standing Committee of Hue City Party Committee, and Permanent Vice Chairman of Hue City People's Council, visited, worked and held talks with the Standing Committee of the Salavan Provincial People's Council, Lao People's Democratic Republic.

In his latest speech, Mr. Le Ngoc Tuan, Head of Hue City Forest Protection Department informed that the City People’s Committee has just decided to establish the Bac Hai Van Landscape Protection Zone, located in Chan May - Lang Co Commune.

Going through many generations, the traditional drum-making craft of the Co Tu people has gradually faded, remaining only in the memories of a few elders. In Doi Village, Khe Tre Commune, artisan and village elder Vuong Van Cua is one of the last people still preserving the ancient secrets of making traditional Co Tu drums.

The Co Tu people in hamlet 5, Nam Dong commune (merged from Huong Xuan, Thuong Nhat and Huong Son communes) still call Village Elder Tran Dinh Lua (72 years old) the “living treasure” of their village. To this day, he is one of the few remaining people who preserve the sacred sound of the gong that has been intertwined with generations of the Co Tu people.

That was the message shared by Mr. Phan Quy Phuong, Vice Chairman of Hue City People’s Committee, at the seminar themed “Green Transition and Strategy to Attract Industrial Investment in Hue City”, co-organized on September 19th by Tuoi Tre Newspaper, the Packaging Recycling Alliance Vietnam (PRO Vietnam), and Hue City People’s Committee. Attending the seminar was Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the Hue City People’s Committee.

On September 16th, Hue City Transportation Construction Investment Project Management Board reported that it had submitted a proposal to Hue City People’s Committee for approval of the investment policy for building the new Vinh Tu bridge across Tam Giang lagoon, connecting Quang Dien commune with Phong Quang ward. The project’s total investment is estimated at over 1.500 billion VND.

On the late afternoon of August 28, at Ly Tu Trong Park (Thuan Hoa Ward), Hue City People's Committee, in collaboration with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), held the inauguration ceremony for the Smart street component of the “Developing Hue into a smart cultural and tourism city” project.

Under the majestic roof of the Guol, amidst the resonant gongs of the festive season, the Co Tu people of Doi Village are steadily awakening the potential of community-based tourism. They are creating livelihoods right on their homeland while preserving and sharing the traditional cultural values of their village.

To Co Tu people, the new rice welcoming festival plays a very important role in their cultural and religious life, highlighting their ethnic cultural characteristics, their knowledge and their outlook of life and the world. That is the conclusion by experts in the process of preparing the dossier for recognition of the new rice welcoming festival of the Co Tu people in Nam Dong, Phu Loc, Hue as national intangible cultural heritage.

In the festive atmosphere of the “Colors of Spring in the Highlands” celebration in A Luoi, amidst the “tung tung da da” dances and echoing gong sounds, I was fortunate to witness a special ritual of the Co Tu people - the An Ninh Pa Nua festival. This is one of their ancient traditional ceremonies, expressing the sacred feelings of the bride’s family toward the groom’s family after many years of being in-laws.

The village elders and young people here appreciate and are aware of preserving traditional culture and promoting this unique art form.