In 2005, I was fortunate to meet Dang Van Viet, a revered elder, in Hue, where he had come from Hanoi to join the 60th anniversary of the Frontline Youth School. There, I learned that he was the one who, together with a comrade, raised the red flag with the yellow star over the Phu Van Lau (Phu Van Pavilion) flagpole on August 21, 1945-when the August Revolution had yet to break out, Japanese forces were still armed, and the Nguyen dynasty still stood in the imperial capital of Hue.

After a period of temporary closure, in early August this year, Ngu Ha Vien – the garden house near Ngu Ha River - reopened with an engaging program introducing the Thanh Liễu woodblock heritage of Hai Duong.

Amid moss-covered rooftops and the quiet waters of the Huong River, or wandering up Thien An Hill, Vong Canh Hill, and into the tombs of the Nguyen emperors… a young woman with the nickname Hoang Trinh Phan has made a significant presence across social media platforms, sharing stories about heritage. Her “heritage storytelling” page has attracted thousands of viewers and followers, not only for her charm but also for the wealth of essential knowledge about cultural heritage that she brings to the public and the community.

On the afternoon of September 18th in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha received a delegation of revolutionary contributors from Hue City on the occasion of their visit to the capital and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

On September 16, Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong, Deputy Secretary of Hue City Party Committee, Chairman of Hue City People's Committee, had a courtesy meeting with Mr. To Dung Thai, Chairman of the Member Council of Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT).

On September 16, in Hanoi, the National Data Association (NDA) had a working session with Hue Monuments Conservation Center to discuss a cooperation plan in digital transformation and heritage data development. Major General Nguyen Ngoc Cuong, Vice Chairman of the NDA; Mr. Hoang Viet Trung, Director of Hue Monuments Conservation Center; and Mr. Nguyen Long, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Informatics Association, attended the working session.

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.

Together with the Huong River - Ngu Mountain, the conical hat and the purple ao dai of Hue Women are also a symbolic cultural combo that is deeply connected with the locals in the Ancient Capital. And the poet Bui Giang once “fell in love”: The poetic conical hat / Taking you to Hue City / Sunshine pierces the rim / Revealing the soul of homeland in poetry… (Taking you to the city).

Despite having a thin workforce with increasingly older age groups, Hue’s young artists continue to make their mark on Vietnam's artistic map. In an interview with Hue Today Weekly, artist Nguyen Thien Duc, Chairman of Hue City Fine Arts Association, shared his views on the current situation, potential, and expectations for the next generation of Hue’s fine arts scene.

On the afternoon of August 13, Hue City People's Committee Office announced that a delegation from Hue City, led by Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the City People's Committee Nguyen Van Phuong, had a series of working sessions in Hobart City, Tasmania, Australia. These sessions were part of the Program to promote Vietnamese localities in Australia in 2025, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.