On the Lantern Festival (the Full Moon of the First Lunar Month) more than 15 years ago, the most “pure Hue native” friend I know, architect Nguyen Trong Huan, and I put on thin raincoats and walked together through the light, drifting drizzle to search for Hue’s culinary specialties. Having lived in this city for many years, Huan still longed for the flavors he once tasted.

After four years as a referee, Ngo Viet Phu was named Chief Referee of the Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation (VMMAF) in 2025, becoming the first athlete and coach from Hue to assume the position.

From laboratories to raw material hills, from native plants to internationally certified products, the innovations of Hue’s business community have demonstrated that innovation is a key driver helping them increase product value and competitiveness in the new era.

Ho Dac Cung, a young Hue native raised in Cai Lay, Tien Giang, developed a passion for engine mechanics and, through self-teaching, built his own airplane. In 1935, faced with financial constraints, he wrote to Emperor Bao Dai seeking assistance and received the monarch’s approval.

On the night of May 6th, 2024, the three romances composed by Le Tu Minh, a Hue-native musician, were played at the Auditorium of Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. That was indeed a historic moment because it was the first time Vietnamese music had been played on stage at the oldest and most prestigious symphony house of Russia.