Among the approximately 70 traditional villages living on practicing crafts in Hue, the craft of making parasols is a special one. Beyond the meticulous craftsmanship required in the crafting process, this craft is also special because the finished products carry profound symbolic value in the local cultural life. Far exceeding their practical function of shielding from sun and rain, the parasols serve as markers of order, ritual, and reverence.

The northeast monsoon winds sweep in, bringing rolling, white-capped waves surging over the Ngu Dien coast, signaling that the rough sea season has reached its height. When the sea momentarily calms, it is also the time local fishermen set out on their arduous voyages to earn a living at sea, braving countless lurking dangers behind every wave.

Over the past few days, people from villages across Dan Dien Commune have been encouraging one another to visit the floating fish farms along the Bo River to buy fish in support of local farmers. Some families bought a few fish, others only one, but everyone said the same thing: “It’s just our way of sharing a little of their hardship”. That’s all they could do, as the recent floods had wiped out tens of tons of fish raised by families living along the Bo River.

On the afternoon of October 16th, as part of the Vietnam Data Expert Network (VDEN) launching ceremony, the “Data Science and Data Economy - Driving Forces of Global Innovation” seminar was held, bringing together Vietnamese experts, scientists, and tech entrepreneurs living in many countries.

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.

On a summer day at the end of July 2025, a modest living room in an apartment in a building in Vy Da Ward was filled with laughter and chatter from a group of visitors. That very room is also where Distinguished Artisan Nguyen Dang Hoang - known by the stage name “Hoang Dieu” (Hoang Kite), has, for many years, both crafted his famous kites and welcomed visitors eager to visit, learn, and experience kite-making.

For centuries, the land of Hue has been renowned for the skillful hands of its artisans. This region is a place not only preserves the cultural heritage of the imperial court, but also serves as the cradle that maintains and develops hundreds of unique traditional craft villages. However, in the face of global integration trends, Hue’s craft villages are confronting numerous challenges.

Although she has never attended any formal art school, Pham Thi Tuong Vi (born in 1992, living at 37/7 Ung Binh, Vy Da Ward) has mastered the art of “dancing” the brush on the traditional conical hat. With her skillful hands and passion for colors, familiar landscapes of her homeland vividly come to life, giving each hat its own distinctive beauty.

The Central Coast Nature Museum has launched the art photography contest “Dance of the Lagoon Birds”. Entries will be accepted from August 18th to October 31st, 2025, from all Vietnamese citizens, capturing vivid and unique moments of bird species living or migrating in lagoons and coastal areas.

Noticeable was the opening of the oil painting exhibition by Hoang Nhu Thuy An at Lieu Quan Buddhist Cultural Center. Hoang Nhu Thuy An is Hoang Nhu Bua’s pseudonym, born in 1948, originally from Cau Hai (Cao Do) in Phu Loc, Hue, but currently living in Da Lat. The special thing is that all those paintings were painted after his stroke culminating in hemiplegia. He has learnt to paint with his left hand since then.