On the morning of February 23, the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee held a conference to evaluate the situation before, during, and after the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026; and to review adjustments of Hue City’s Master Plan for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2050, to meet the development requirements in the new phase.

No one has captured the Vietnamese sense of living away from one’s homeland better than poet Nguyen Khoa Diem when he wrote: “They carry the names of their communes and villages on every migration journey.” In the highland city on the Lang Biang Plateau, this sentiment holds true as well. Many people from Hue left their ancestral land to settle here nearly a century ago. Though four or five generations have now been born on this new land, the “Hue spirit” in these distant Hue communities has never faded.

According to the information released by the Department of Tourism on February 22, during the 9-day Binh Ngo Lunar New Year holiday, the number of visitors to Hue increased sharply year-on-year. Especially, tourism revenue witnessed an increase of 350% compared to the previous year.

As Lunar New Year approaches, areas around universities grow increasingly quiet. Traffic thins out, while many eateries and photocopy shops close for the holiday. Boarding houses fall silent as most students head home by the 24th or 25th day of the lunar December; those who remain are mainly from distant hometowns, working part-time, or hoping to experience Tet in a new place.

After moments of family reunion and New Year greetings to grandparents and parents, many local residents and visitors have chosen Hue Imperial Citadel as their destination for early spring outings, immersing themselves in a Tet atmosphere rich in cultural depth.

Vo Thi Nhu Nguyen's leaf-skeleton hand fans preserve the delicate veins of fallen leaves, transforming what was once considered waste into items with a new lease on life.

Along the coastal regions of Central Vietnam, especially in the city of Hue, seahorses are not only a supplementary source of income for many fishermen but also an indicator of a healthy marine ecosystem. As seahorse populations continue to decline, reproductive research models and collaborations between fishermen and scientific institutions are opening up new hope: preserving this unique species for future generations.

From the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year (February 17), the spring travel atmosphere in Hue has been vibrant and festive. Visitors from across Vietnam, along with international tourists, have chosen the former imperial capital as their holiday destination, creating a lively tourism scene on the very first day of the New Year.

In East Asian culture, horses are not merely a means of transport but a cultural symbol. In Hue during the Nguyen Dynasty, the presence of horses accompanied ceremonial processions and imperial carriages. Even today, that image endures on two bronze urns of the Nine Dynastic Urns - Huyen Dinh and Anh Dinh (the alias of Tu Duc) - like a layer of resilient metallic memory, reminding us that horses once played a role in the life of the former imperial capital.

On the evening of February 16 (the 29th day of the Lunar December), just before the sacred moment of Lunar New Year’s Eve welcoming the Binh Ngo Spring 2026, city leaders visited and extended New Year greetings to agencies, organizations, businesses, and personnel on duty.

For the end of the Culture and Tourism News Bulletin this week, we would like to invite you to watch the images of An Thái ancient village located in An Thái village, Nhơn Phúc commune, An Nhơn town, Bình Định province - a well-known traditional craft village specializing in making dry vermicelli and rice paper.