In the early summer morning mist, while the weather still carries a hint of chilly breeze, many people passing by Tinh Tam Lake inside Hue Citadel feel as though they have “wandered into a serene space”, where some brew tea, some enjoy tea, others gently pick lotus blossoms, while locals and visitors take the opportunity to pose for photos with the blooming lotus flowers… Tinh Tam has long been a famous scenic spot, once listed by Emperor Thieu Tri as one of the “Twenty finest landscapes of the Imperial Land”. Contributing greatly to the fame of this landmark is the white lotus, also known as the “royal” lotus.

Not only honored as one of the world’s leading romantic honeymoon destinations in 2026, Hue is also increasingly becoming attractive to international visitors thanks to its safety, friendliness, and rich cultural identity. These advantages are opening up strong prospects for the Ancient Capital’s tourism sector in attracting high-value international travelers.

“Half of the Vietnamese are in Hue” - a playful remark that has become a vivid expression of the strong appeal of tourism in the land of Huong River and Mount Ngu these days. Crowds are flocking to relic sites, pagodas, royal mausoleums, and eateries during the holidays, making the Ancient Capital more vibrant and lively.

Many journeys back to old Hue begin with seemingly small details. For me, it was a visit to An Thu garden house in Gia Hoi old quarter - a contemplative Hue residence nestled behind lush green trees. Mr. Vo Chanh Tien, the current caretaker, led me through the rooms while sharing the house's history and stories of generations tied to the garden and the rhythm of the old Gia Hoi. But what made me linger the longest was actually… beneath my feet.

On the afternoon of March 30th, Hue Central Hospital announced that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MicroPort MedBot (China) and Hanoi Foreign Medical (HFM) to establish the first Vietnam-China Robotic Surgery Training Center in Vietnam. This is considered an important step in the strategy for developing high-tech medicine, contributing to enhancing professional capacity and international integration of Vietnam’s healthcare sector.

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.

According to an information released by the Railway Transport Joint Stock Company, following a period of exterior and interior renovations to passenger carriages on Hue - Da Nang route of the “Connecting Central Heritage” train, the upgraded train will officially debut on March 26, 2026.

In Bao Vinh Old Town, Ms. Tran Thi Minh Phung still carefully holds her brush each day to paint on glass, just as her family has done for generations. As most of the artisans from the old days have nearly disappeared, the hands of this woman in her fifties have become a place where a craft once closely associated with the royal art of Hue is being preserved.

Since the primordial dawn of history, primitive humans were already conscious of time. They observed the rotation of the universe and carved markings on cave walls to record the passage of day and night. From natural phenomena, weather patterns, and cosmic cycles, humans created calendars to serve daily life and agricultural production.

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.