It is the season of late spring transitioning into early summer, when cicadas begin their rhythmic chorus amidst the leafy canopies. During this season, from late March to early April, Hue still carries a slight chill in late night and early morning, offering many cool parts throughout the day. This is an ideal condition for visitors from near and far to experience the natural scenery, historical relics, scenic spots, and the daily life of this ancient capital.

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.

In Greek mythology, the supreme god Zeus transformed himself into a bull to seduce the beautiful princess Europa. When she mounted his back, the bull carried her across the sea to the island of Crete, where she gave birth to great kings, seen as an allegory for the birth of European civilization. The continent of Europe was therefore named after her – Europa, later known by the common name Europe.

A quick lunch when the afternoon has already faded into evening, and a dinner late at night, despite the hard work, orchid arrangers during Tet season remain cheerful and excited, because the job is not only a way to earn a living, but also a way to satisfy their passion.

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.

For over two decades devoted to mother-of-pearl inlay work, Phan Tan Dat, born 1992, has transformed seashells into shimmering masterpieces on horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences, guarding screens... preserving the complete ancient soul of Hue.

The lotus is one of the beautiful symbols of serenity, peace, and tranquility. In Hue, the lotus blooming season usually begins in May and June, when the weather changes into hot and sultry days. This time also coincides with April of the Lunar year, the time marked with the significant event of the Grand Buddhism Celebration (Vesak).

People say that Hue is so strange that every time you pick up the camera to take a photo, a beautiful corner will be covered into your lens, no matter it is taken by a professional camera or just a smartphone. This is even truer when Hue enters the dewy season, the time when chilly air mingles with the warmth of the sun.

On the afternoon of August 10, Mr. Phan Viet Phuc, Head of the Phu Loc District Forest Protection Department, said that the functional forces, in collaboration with local residents, had just released a Vich sea turtle, weighing about 70 kilograms, back into the natural environment.

The working trip to the Spratly Archipelago lasted 18 days, but for me, the emotions in my heart are forever filled with years, when I "touched" the sacred waves. Tearful, I looked up at the proudly flying National Flag, imprinting the national image on waves, carrying the image of a resilient soldier in the open sea, and bursting into a heroic song: "The Fatherland’s echoes from the sea..."