For over twenty years, artist Tran Huu Nhat has quietly traveled through rivers, temples, the citadel in Hue in his journey of recreating sketches of Than Kinh Nhi Thap Canh _ the twenty beautiful landscapes of Hue mentioned in historical records of the Nguyen Dynasty.

More than just a place serving authentic dishes from the Ancient Capital, Hue Thuong restaurant in the heart of Osaka, Japan, has become a familiar gathering place for Hue natives living far from home. Through every delicately prepared dish, the restaurant preserves and shares the cultural values and culinary essence of Hue.

Beyond generating a steady income for residents, the vibrant chrysanthemum gardens also pave the way to promote a model of community-based tourism tied to the unique landscape of Tam Giang Lagoon.

Amid the cool mountain air of Bach Ma National Park, beneath a star-filled sky and alongside the gentle murmur of streams flowing through the park’s majestic landscape, a group of young performers from Hon Viet Event treated visitors to an emotionally musical night show with “Symphony No. 5: A Date with the Clouds and Sky”.

Alongside the Hue heritage complex, the French architectural works that remain today are seen as part of the soul of Hue’s urban landscape. Through the lens of sketching, these structures appear to take on a new look and a different kind of “life” in the eyes of artists and architects.

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.

Hue is a land that bears the imprint of the southward migration and territorial expansion undertaken more than 700 years ago by the people of ancient Thuan Hoa. Very few documents reveal the timing of these migration waves or the organization and formation of Vietnamese villages in the region. Yet during fieldwork, I gained access to several ancient Han-Nom documents recording the migration, land reclamation, and establishment of villages and communes. Most notably is a cadastral record dating to the 9th year of the Dai Hoa reign (1451) under King Le Nhan Tong, compiled exactly 575 years ago.

“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.

More than half a century since the homeland’s liberation (March 26, 1975 – March 26, 2026), Hue’s urban landscape has undergone significant transformation, marked by newly widened roads, bridges spanning rivers and lagoons, modern urban zones, and an increasingly synchronized technical infrastructure system.

After five editions, the VnExpress Marathon Hue has made tangible contributions to the city’s overall development landscape. Its sixth edition (taking place from April 17 to 19) is no exception, promising to provide a strong impetus for Hue’s strategy in developing sports, tourism and socio-economic growth.