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 morning of January 1st, in the warm sunshine on the first morning of the new year, the area around Ngo Mon Gate of Hue Imperial Citadel became lively as the Nguyen Dynasty Ban Soc ceremony was reenacted in a theatricalized format, officially opening Hue Festival 2026. The event also marked the first festival of the year, attracting a large number of local residents and visitors.

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.

Thousands of visitors and residents of Hue came together to bid farewell to 2025 and welcome the New Year 2026 in exquisite weather, heaven and earth in harmony, clear skies with a slight winter chill. The Countdown program welcoming 2026, held at Hue City Cultural and Sports Square (Vy Da Ward), was regarded as the highlight of this meaningful moment, a venue where a grand musical feast and joyful reunions converged.

On the morning of December 30, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired an online conference to review one month of implementation of the “Quang Trung Campaign”, a rapid initiative to rebuild and repair houses for households whose homes collapsed, were destroyed, swept away by floods, or severely damaged by recent storms and flooding. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, along with leaders of ministries, sectors, and localities.

On the morning of December 30, Hue City Department of Home Affairs reported that in 2025, wages, bonuses, and labor relations at businesses across the city remained broadly stable. Workers’ salaries and Lunar New Year bonuses continued to rise compared to the previous year, with no cases of wage arrears recorded.

In the not-too-distant future, the more than 120-hectare area south of Hue city center will move beyond being a newly developed site to take shape as a “university city” - a space for living, learning, and creativity, gathering the intellectual elite of Central Vietnam.

The 4th Congress of Delegates of the Vietnam - Thailand Friendship Association of the city, for the 2025 - 2030 term, was held on December 26. Attending the Congress were Standing Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee Pham Duc Tien; Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee Tran Huu Thuy Giang; along with representatives of departments, agencies, sectors, and a large number of association members.

Hue’s transportation and urban infrastructure have undergone significant changes in recent times, with a series of large-scale key projects being invested in and implemented, opening up new connectivity spaces for the city.

On the morning of December 22, a workshop was held in Hue City to launch the mission “Promoting human resource management for Vietnamese healthcare system, focusing on HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis prevention and control”. The workshop aimed to finalize the plans, content, and implementation methods for scientific and technological tasks in the new phase, contributing to improving the operational efficiency of local healthcare system.

For the end of the Culture and Tourism News Bulletin this week, we would like to invite you to watch the images of An Thái ancient village located in An Thái village, Nhơn Phúc commune, An Nhơn town, Bình Định province - a well-known traditional craft village specializing in making dry vermicelli and rice paper.

Embarking on a trip to A Lưới to admire and discover the hidden beauty of this area would be an ideal option for tourists in summer.

We would like to invite you to admire the gentle and peaceful beauty of the daily life in Phú Tân mat weaving craft village - a hundred-year-old craft village in An Cư commune, Tuy An district, Phú Yên province.

For over 50 years of living away from home, the artist Bảo Cường has always longed to do something meaningful for his homeland. With his strong affection for literature and art, he created an art space and set up a library to contribute to improving the cultural and spiritual life of his compatriots in Dương Hòa war zone, Hương Thủy town.

The video contest design themed "Gastronomy of the ancient capital - Flavors and Memories" was launched on social media platforms on July 5th by the Provincial Youth Union Standing Committee.

As the tide falls, the Sargassum seaweed would gradually reveal itself. The brown color of Sargassum seaweed combined with the navy hue of sea water creates a remarkable scene.

You have just watched the images of lotus flowers blooming brilliantly in the morning at Tịnh Tâm Lake - a venue for Hue Lotus Festival themed “Lotus beautifies Hue", which has been held from June 23rd to 25th. With many interesting activities involved, the festival promises to be the ideal destination for lotus lovers this weekend.

This is an ideal spot for us to admire the sunset with the Thanh Hà port located just on the opposite to watch the bright full moon at night or absorb some vitamin sunshine to begin a new day.

We would like to invite you to admire the images of red flamboyant flowers in full bloom on the streets of Hue City’s central area, An Định Palace, Hai Bà Trưng high school, and walking streets along the Imperial Citadel.