With over 120 kilometers of coastline and a vast lagoon system bestowed by nature, Hue is home to numerous attractive seafood markets, including Phu Hau Market and Ngu My Thanh Floating Market, and Vinh Hien Market… In this issue of Hue Today Weekly, we would like to take readers to the fish market of Thuan An through a series of photos taken by Duc Quang, a reporter, offering a glimpse into the vibrant daily life of a coastal fishing community.

Compared to many other coastal localities, Hue’s sea possesses a distinctly unique beauty, gentle and captivating in its simplicity and softness. In recent years, that beauty has become even more alluring thanks to the new coastal road and the recently completed bridge spanning the Thuan An estuary. From there, visitors coming to Hue can begin their journey from the clear blue waters of Lang Co Bay, travel along breezy coastal roads through Vinh Thanh, Thuan An, and Hai Duong, before continuing toward the peaceful seaside area of Quang Dien.

“Vai nom tren cat” (Fish Trap Baskets on the Sand) or “Vai chai tren cat” (Fishing Nets on the Sand) is one of the activities staged by residents of Thuan An from the familiar movements of traditional fishing work. During every festival season in this coastal area, “Vai nom tren cat” becomes a vibrant source of spiritual and cultural enjoyment for local people and visitors alike.

On the morning of April 30, Thuan An sea-gate overpass - the longest sea-crossing overpass in Vietnam’s Central Region officially opened to traffic.

Racing against time in this historic April, contractors working on Thuan An sea-gate overpass project are stepping up construction efforts by mobilizing both machinery and manpower, while simultaneously advancing multiple work fronts.

Within the cultural complex of Hue, if the system of palaces and royal tombs defines the face of an Imperial capital, the villages along the lagoon and coastline preserve the depth of community life. There, heritage does not lie dormant in the past but lives on in every festival season, every daily custom, and every belief tied to the natural environment. The Cau Ngu Festival of Thai Duong village, held once every three years in January at the Thuan An seaport, is precisely such a heritage - a vibrant cultural practice where community memory, maritime knowledge, and the will to survive have woven together into an enduring whole across hundreds of years.

That is the vast green casuarina forest that the people of Thai Duong Thuong village (formerly Hai Duong Commune, now part of Thuan An Ward, Hue City) planted decades ago to shield them from the winds, stop the sand, and protect the village. Amidst the vast sky and land, the casuarina trees grow lush and strong, becoming a sturdy shield, guarding the village from waves and winds, and the harshness of the sea.

In the article “Pho Loi River through the Nguyen Dynasty’s Woodblock”, the author Thom Quang cited a historical information: “In Dai Nam thuc luc woodblock No. 154, the carved page 2 recorded that in the year At Mui of Lunar Calendar (1835), Emperor Minh Mang issued an edict for Thua Thien Hue Province to dig Pho Loi River”. Pho Loi River stretches along the route from Hue, starting from the point where it meets the Huong River and then flowing out to Thuan An seaport.

Spanning a total water surface area of more than 210 km², Tam Giang - Cau Hai lagoon system,consisting of three main lagoons: Tam Giang, Thuy Tu, and Cau Hai, is often praised as a natural masterpiece bestowed upon Hue. The Tam Giang - Cau Hai lagoon system connects to the East Sea via the Thuan An inlet (Tam Giang lagoon) and the Tu Hien inlet (Cau Hai lagoon). It is the largest brackish lagoon system in Vietnam as well as all of Southeast Asia with an incredibly rich and diverse ecosystem.

Hue, the former ancient capital, is a land with a resilient tradition of resistance against foreign invasion. Its peaceful rural outskirts, home to hardworking and loyal people, have produced many talented individuals and renowned historical figures.