Hue City these days is becoming more bustling with the atmosphere of the upcoming Tet holiday (the Lunar New Year of the Snake). Flowers and ornamental plants have been brought to decorate the city's parks. The entire city is vibrant with flowers, and people are out taking “check-in” photos.

On the afternoon of January 19th, the third annual Hue Yellow Apricot Festival - Masterpieces of Spring 2025 - was commenced at Thuong Bac Park (Tran Hung Dao Street, Phu Xuan District). This festival is dedicated to honoring Hue's signature flower, the Yellow Apricot Blossom.

In the recent top 10 list of affordable and ideal relaxing destinations for Singaporean tourists in 2025, released by UK-based Time Out magazine, Vietnam is represented by two cities: Hue and Da Nang.

On the afternoon of January 8th, at Phu Mau Primary School, Thuan Hoa District, Hue City, the "Health Day Festival" (HDF) was organized by University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University.

On the first day of the new year, a ceremony to announce the National Tourism Year and Hue Festival 2025 was held at Ngo Mon Square by the People’s Committee of Hue City.

Decision No. 3979/QD-BVHTTDL dated December 10, 2024 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has recognized the “Van Cu noodle-making craft” being in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List under the Traditional Handicraft category. This serves as a foundation for building an intangible cultural heritage profile with a national and international vision for Bun Hue (Hue noodles) culinary heritage in the coming time.

On December 24, Korean Institute of Traditional Culture Research and ORIHERI announced that Nguyen Ngoc Phon, a 23-year-old representative from Hue (of Doan Trang Embroidery and Sewing Service & Trade Co., Ltd.), surpassed more than 2,000 contestants worldwide to secure third prize at the World Grand Prix Supreme Model Contest and Seoul Beauty Fashion Festival 2024 (World Champion Model and Beauty Fashion Festival in Seoul - Korea 2024).

On December 21, at Hai Van Frontier Post (Hai Van Quan) relic, Hue Monuments Conservation Center collaborated with the Department of Culture and Sports of Da Nang City to hold a ceremony announcing the completion of the project to preserve, restore, and promote the value of the Hai Van Frontier Post national relic site.

On the afternoon of December 18th, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Phan Quy Phuong had a courtesy meeting with Mr. Mori Takero, the Japanese Consul General in Da Nang.

I remember the first time I tried this dish was at the Thuy Bieu Thanh Tra Festival in 2022. Walking amidst the shimmering green and golden-yellow stalls of this special local fruit, I picked up a small bag of candied thanh tra peel before heading home. To this day, the flavor of that simple yet rustic treat lingers in my memory.