Born in Hue - a place where traditional crafts are deeply intertwined with spiritual life, Tran Phuoc Hoang (28 years old) chose to dedicate himself to the craft of carving ancestral tablets. After nearly 10 years in the craft, he has quietly preserved traditional values through every product meticulously created with his passion.

Hue is changing every day through its bridges. From the more-than-120-year-old Truong Tien Bridge reflecting the city’s heritage, to Phu Xuan, Nguyen Hoang, Da Vien, Thuan An, Tam Giang, etc., these bridges not only connect the roads of Hue but also symbolize the city’s reach toward the future.

On the afternoon of November 17, Hue Central Hospital (HCH) held a discharge ceremony for pediatric patient Nguyen Tuong V., 2 years old - the recipient in the hospital’s fifth liver transplant performed entirely by its own team of doctors. This achievement marks a significant milestone, affirming the hospital’s ability to master the entire liver transplant process - from organ retrieval and liver splitting to transplantation and post-operative care.

In the days leading up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, the children in my neighborhood have been joyfully practicing. Calling it a “unicorn dance troupe” sounds grand, but in fact, it’s just about a dozen kids from grades 1 to 7. One contributes an old drum, another brings a unicorn head or a Mr. Earth mask, while some dig through closets for their mothers’ Ao dai, … all gathered together to form an eager, lively team of little unicorn dancers.

On the morning of October 2nd, at Hue Central Hospital, H.T.N. (45 years old, Thuy Xuan, Hue City) was officially discharged in stable health after nearly three weeks recovering from a remarkable cross-Vietnam heart transplant. This was the 20th successful heart transplant carried out at Hue Central Hospital, marking another important milestone in Vietnam’s field of cardiac surgery and organ transplantation.

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.

The sound of gongs echoing through the mountains, the graceful spins of Pa Co and Ta Oi (ethnic groups) dances, once thought to belong only to the memory of old festivals, are now alive again in A Luoi 2. Here, a Co Tu girl named A Rel Thuy Linh, along with local youth, continue to nurture their passion, bringing the heritage of their homeland to life with vibrant performances that immerse audiences in the atmosphere of a true festival.

From September 12 to 14, the City Women’s Union, in collaboration with the Women’s Unions of Quang Dien, Phu Xuan, and Vy Da organized the forum “Listening to Children - Protecting Children in Cyberspace”, with the participation of 300 women members who have children under 16 years old.

On the afternoon of September 8, Hue Central Hospital held a discharge ceremony for pediatric patient Vu Quynh C. (6 years old, from Bac Ninh), who had just successfully undergone an allogeneic bone marrow transplant to treat Thalassemia. This was the hospital’s 11th Thalassemia bone marrow transplant, and notably the first case in Vietnam using marrow donated by the patient’s biological mother.

In Thanh Thuy Ward, I met Minh, a 10-year-old boy in a Taekwondo uniform. Three years ago, he was a shy child, often sick and reluctant to communicate. But in the summer of 2024, his mother enrolled him in a nearby Taekwondo class. After just three summer months, Minh not only became healthier but also gained the confidence to give presentations in front of his class - something he had never dared to do before.

This is the surviving lychee (hac le chi) tree, believed to have been grown from three lychee fruits bestowed upon the palace by the emperor. The tree casts shade over a corner of the palace, and its trunk is so wide that it would take several people to embrace it.