At the heart of the Imperial City of Hue, the 180-year-old Co Mat Vien (Supreme council for military and major state affairs of the Nguyen Dynasty) is gradually being revitalized in a new guise. Formerly the seat of the highest decisions of the Nguyen Dynasty, the space is being shaped into a center for creativity, education, and heritage experiences for the community.

Facing with the growing pressure of increasing household waste volumes, Hue is confronted with the need to renew its approach to urban waste management. In the context of the circular economy becoming an inevitable trend for modern cities, to reuse is not only an environmental action but also a strategy for sustainable development.

For many years immersed in the sounds of chisels and hammers, Mr. Vo Huu An, born in 1975, cannot remember how many wooden works he has created.

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.

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.