On the evening of August 30, the Department of Tourism held a tourism promotion and introduction program titled ‘Connecting Heritage, Shaping the Future: Hue - Northeastern Thailand’.

On the morning of August 29, a series of cultural and educational events took place at the Ngo Mon Square, including a reenactment of the Truyen Lo Ceremony from the Nguyen Dynasty, the announcement of Hue’s Heritage Promotion Ambassador, and a ceremony honoring the ‘School Honor Students’ of the 2025 - 2026 academic year.

On the morning of August 28, Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR), in collaboration with Quang Tri Province People’s Committee and Hue People’s Committee, officially launched the ‘Phong Nha - Hue Imperial City: A World Heritage Journey’ tourist train at Dong Hoi Railway Station. Later that day, Hue City welcomed the train and held a ceremony to mark its arrival.

Rather than focusing on sheer visitor numbers, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center is shifting its service strategy at the Imperial City and other heritage sites toward product selectivity and enhanced visitor experiences, to attract high-spending tourists.

Hue is a heritage city, but Hue’s cultural strength does not lie solely in its citadel, palaces, royal tombs, or historic architecture. Behind these tangible forms of heritage lies a vibrant world of music, festivals, beliefs, traditional crafts, cuisine, clothing, and folk knowledge. This is the ‘soul’ that gives Hue its distinctive identity.

The exhibition, through the language of photography, aims to strengthen Hue City's cultural diplomacy and expand cooperation with diplomatic missions of ASEAN countries in Vietnam. It will also help promote Hue as a heritage city and a distinctive Festival City of Vietnam, as well as an attractive cultural and tourism destination in the Central region. ​

By hosting the Hue Heritage and International Music Festival 2026 - Hue Wonderverse Music Fest 2026, which is scheduled from August 30 to September 1, alongside the National Day Holiday on September 2, Hue City is expected to witness a surge in tourist arrivals. This may lead to a local ‘fully booked’ situation at certain peak times. Drawing from the experience of the last April 30 - May 1 holiday, the local tourism sector is developing plans to enhance its reception capacity and service quality.

After a period of preparation, the Hue - Phong Nha heritage train will officially be launched on August 28. Notably, starting August 17, the railway sector has begun selling tickets for the HQ1/HQ2 train pair, named ‘World Heritage Journey’, connecting Hue Ancient Capital with Phong Nha - Ke Bang.

On August 19 and September 2, Vietnamese citizens will be granted free admission to heritage sites managed by Hue Monuments Conservation Center. The initiative offers an opportunity for visitors to explore Hue’s heritage during the public holidays, while gaining deeper understanding of the historical and cultural values of the Ancient Capital.

Among about 3,000 dishes documented nationwide, over 1,700 are believed to be prepared in Hue styles, bearing the distinctive hallmarks of the former imperial capital’s cuisine. This rich culinary heritage is one of the key reasons that Hue has chosen gastronomy as the focus of its application to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).