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.

On the first day of 2026, sunny weather set a serene and poetic tone in Hue. Both visitors and residents took time to savor the city’s unhurried, gentle pace. Beyond its famed heritage sites, spiritual and cultural spaces, parks, and public recreation areas were bustling with visitors.

Business intertwined with the promotion of Hue's traditional culture is a path that more and more young people are pursuing, asserting the creativity, identity, and spirit of self-reliance. Rather than chasing mass-market trends, “recalling the past to understand the future” has become the business philosophy for a segment of the younger generation, bringing cultural heritage into contemporary life naturally.

The Heritage Education Materials developed by Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities were recently honored at the City Technical Innovation Contest, providing fresh impetus for bringing cultural heritage closer to younger generations.

On the evening of December 18, in Hue City, a ceremony was held to officially receive the national intangible cultural heritage title for folk knowledge related to Bun Bo Hue (Hue Beef Noodle Soup), alongside the opening of the International Culinary Festival “Hue - Culinary Capital”.

On the afternoon of December 18, at the Ruong House space - the Royal Treasury Palace (Hue Imperial Citadel), Hue Monuments Conservation Center, in collaboration with Phygital Labs, officially launched the Culture - Heritage - Technology Experience Space.

In recent days, the mindset of “Preservation for Development” and “Development grounded in Heritage” has become increasingly evident in Hue City’s strategy. Heritage is identified as one of the essential pillars for sustainable tourism development, serving as a driving force for balanced and inclusive socio-economic development.

Once being the Imperial Capital under the Nguyen Dynasty, Hue has undergone many historical phases, and today the city is regarded as one of Vietnam’s few cities where multiple architectural traditions coexist. It brings together folk, royal, colonial, and modern styles, developing in a way that balances the architecture, landscape, and culture, forming a distinctive urban identity.

Not only serving as a “red address” for patriotic education, the system of heritage sites related to President Ho Chi Minh in Hue is also an attractive cultural and historical tourism destination that draws visitors.

On the occasion of the 140th anniversary of Emperor Ham Nghi’s issuance of the Can Vuong Edict (1885 - 2025) - a milestone marking the beginning of the representative patriotic movement of the late 19th century, on the morning of December 7, Hue Monuments Conservation Center organized the heritage education program “Can Vuong tremendous spirit” (“Hao khi Can Vuong”) at Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities and the Nguyen Dynasty’s Privy Council (Co Mat Vien - Tam Toa) space.