“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.

For many years, the development of waterway tourism has been a consistent goal, as the potential of Hue's rivers remained largely untapped. Following the City People's Committee's announcement of the inland waterway route on the Ngu Ha River, along with the pilot launch of heritage-linked tourism routes using electric boats on the Huong River and its tributaries, the local waterway tourism is expected to be unlocked.

It is a paradise of gentle tranquility found along the pedestrian walkways by the Huong River after being planned, including the Nhu Y riverside route, the network of pedestrian walkways along the Huong River, and riverside parks in the heart of Hue City.

“Encoding Time” was the theme of an exhibition that opened to the public on the afternoon of April 25 at the Intercultural Meeting Place - Lan Vien Co Tich space (part of the Huong River Museum of Ancient Ceramics, Bach Dang Street, Phu Xuan Ward).

A large number of locals and visitors attending Hue Nam Temple Festival (Hon Chen Temple) joined the road procession, traveling from Thien Tien Thanh Giao Holy Place (352 Chi Lang Street) to Thuong Bac Park along the Huong River (Tran Hung Dao Street, Phu Xuan Ward).

On the evening of April 16, the music show titled “Đi mô? Nghe chi?” (Where to Go? What to Listen) Episode 2 took place in the area by the poetic Huong River, attracting a great number of locals and visitors coming to enjoy performances.

In 2000, in the short piece entitled “Hue Diary,” written when he returned for the first Hue Festival, musician Trinh Cong Son wrote, “When you have a place to return, or to visit from time to time, you are very fortunate. There, you have a river, a mountain, and you can find again your old friends whose hair used to be black has now turned grey. You might suddenly meet a Hue girl on the street and ask her, ‘Is there anything new in Hue now?’ And immediately, or perhaps by chance, she will recite the two lines from a poem by Bui Giang: “Da thua xu Hue bay gio/ Van con nui Ngu ben bo song Huong” (“Yes, sir, Hue now/ Still has Ngu Mount by the Huong river…”)

On March 3rd, coinciding with the Nguyen Tieu (first Full Moon) Festival of the Year of the Horse 2026, the Department of Agriculture and Environment released nearly 100.000 fish into the Huong River to help restore local aquatic resources. Species included crucian carp, yellow catfish, climbing perch and common carp.

On the night of March 2, the Union of Literature and Arts Associations and the Hue City Writers’ Association hosted the Binh Ngo 2026 First Full Moon Poetry Night under the theme “Spring by the Huong River”, drawing a large number of writers, artists, and poetry lovers to attend.

For many years, one man has devoted himself to a singular dream: creating pearl products cultivated from the fresh waters of the Huong River.