On the first day back to work after the 2026 New Year holiday, Hue residents were greeted with encouraging news: during the holiday period, the city was estimated to have welcomed around 85,000 visitors, a 25% increase compared to the same period last year.

On the afternoon of January 12th, at Nguyen Tri Phuong Secondary School, Hue City People’s Committee, in coordination with Vietnam National Industry and Energy Group (Petrovietnam), held an inauguration ceremony for a STEM Labs under the STEM Innovation Petrovietnam Program. Attending the event were Mr. Pham Duc Tien - Standing Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, and Mr. Tran Huu Thuy Giang - Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee.

On the afternoon of January 8, a delegation from the Salavan Provincial People’s Council, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, led by Mr. Siheang Homsombat, Head of the National Assembly Delegation for Constituency No. 14, and Chairman of the Salavan Provincial People's Council, visited and extended Lunar New Year greetings for the Year of the Horse to Hue City.

The year 2026 opens the 2026–2030 period, marked by increasingly fierce competition to attract resources, talent, and visitors, while Hue cannot pursue rapid urbanization or heavy industry. Hue’s path must be its own: taking heritage, culture, landscape, and ways of life as deep, distinctive, and sustainable advantages; taking creativity and experience as driving forces; and placing the people of Hue at the center of all development policies.

According to initial statistics released by the Department of Tourism, during the 2026 New Year holiday, Hue was estimated to welcome around 85,000 visitors, representing an increase of 25% compared to the same period last year. The number of staying guests reached approximately 45,000 arrivals, up more than 15% year on year.

During his visit to Hue in early November 2025, General Secretary To Lam conveyed a message to the city’s Party Committee, authorities, and people: Hue must preserve its cultural identity and the distinctive character of Hue people amid a new phase of development. That reminder was not merely an expectation, but a guiding orientation for the entire term.

On the morning of January 4, at Ngu Ha Vien, the project “Reviving Chuon village traditional scroll (lien) making craft” was officially launched to the public, marking an emotional milestone in the journey to rediscover and restore a part of cultural memory that was once on the brink of extinction.

Hue’s heritage is undergoing a powerful “rebirth”, as technology unlocks new layers of value and reshapes the way visitors experience its cultural legacy.

On the morning of January 1st, in the warm sunshine on the first morning of the new year, the area around Ngo Mon Gate of Hue Imperial Citadel became lively as the Nguyen Dynasty Ban Soc ceremony was reenacted in a theatricalized format, officially opening Hue Festival 2026. The event also marked the first festival of the year, attracting a large number of local residents and visitors.

The 4th Congress of Delegates of the Vietnam - Thailand Friendship Association of the city, for the 2025 - 2030 term, was held on December 26. Attending the Congress were Standing Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee Pham Duc Tien; Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee Tran Huu Thuy Giang; along with representatives of departments, agencies, sectors, and a large number of association members.