Though in his seventies, Excellent Artist Tran Thao (Phu Xuan, Hue) has never spent a single day without nha nhac (court music). He teaches it in classrooms, passing on his craft in his small house and maintaining a nha nhac club for over three decades now. Every year, he travels to An Giang, carrying with him the “music of the past” to share with others.

On the evening of May 25, the Organizing Committee of Hue Festival 2026 held a press conference to kick off the Hue International Music Week 2026, a highlight of the Summer Festival - featuring the participation of 8 domestic and international art troupes, along with many renowned singers.

As part of Hue Festival 2026, Hue International Music Week 2026 will take place from June 13 to 18 on the riverside stage along the Huong River, in front of Quoc Hoc Hue High School for the Gifted. The event is expected to become a major highlight of the Summer Festival, bringing together artists, dance troupes, and art troupes from Vietnam and many countries around the world.

On the afternoon of April 26th, Vietnam Haiku Poetry Club - Hue Ancient Capital branch held a gathering and poetry - music exchange to commemorate the 51st anniversary of National Reunification Day (April 30th, 1975 - April 30th, 2026). The event also included the induction of new members, contributing to the spread of verses associated with April memories and love for the homeland.

At cultural festivals, exchange events, or student programs in Hue, it is not uncommon to see young people dressed in Japanese attire, moving in synchronized formations to vibrant music. They are members of Mirai Yosakoi Club, a yosakoi dance team comprised of students from the Faculty of Japanese Language & Culture, University of Foreign Languages, Hue University.

In 2000, in the short piece entitled “Hue Diary,” written when he returned for the first Hue Festival, musician Trinh Cong Son wrote, “When you have a place to return, or to visit from time to time, you are very fortunate. There, you have a river, a mountain, and you can find again your old friends whose hair used to be black has now turned grey. You might suddenly meet a Hue girl on the street and ask her, ‘Is there anything new in Hue now?’ And immediately, or perhaps by chance, she will recite the two lines from a poem by Bui Giang: “Da thua xu Hue bay gio/ Van con nui Ngu ben bo song Huong” (“Yes, sir, Hue now/ Still has Ngu Mount by the Huong river…”)

One morning in late 2025, at Chieu Cafe on Dang Thai Than Street, behind the Hue Imperial Citadel, young musician Huynh Anh Khang had a conversation with us about music and his love for Hue – the land he feels he “owes a debt to.”

On the morning of March 3, Vietnam Haiku Poetry Club - Hue Ancient Capital Chapter held a gathering and poetry-music exchange to mark the 24th anniversary of Vietnam Poetry Day and celebrate International Women’s Day (March 8).

In the mid-20th century, the establishment of multiple music publishing houses positioned Hue as a vital hub of Vietnamese music. As the former imperial capital, the city was both a magnet for prominent composers and a pioneering cradle that shaped the professional contours of Vietnam’s modern and traditional music through its distinguished publishing system.

Within the tranquil setting of Hue Imperial Citadel, the melodies of nha nhac (Royal Court Music) resonate slowly and steadily. This enduring musical flow quietly carries echoes of the past, along with the steadfast efforts of those who dedicate themselves each day to preserving the heritage.