It took a whole month of scheduling before I could meet the famous Vietnamese-American chef Kevin Tien in Washington, D.C. It’s truly fascinating that in the heart of the U.S. capital, there’s a culinary space called Moon Rabbit - where this young man quietly plants seeds of creativity to bring Vietnamese cuisine to the world and inspire the Vietnamese expatriate community.

On the morning of February 23 (the 7th day of the Lunar January), at Trieu Mieu and The Mieu - Hue Imperial Citadel, Hue Monuments of Conservation Center held the ceremony to lower the traditional New Year Neu pole and open the New Year seal in a solemn atmosphere, marking the close of Tet holiday and the start of the new working year in accordance with former royal court rituals.

On the first working day following the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026 holiday, the number of patients seeking medical examination and treatment at healthcare facilities across Hue roses again. Several illnesses had increased, particularly among the elderly and patients with underlying conditions.

On the morning of February 23, the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee held a conference to evaluate the situation before, during, and after the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026; and to review adjustments of Hue City’s Master Plan for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2050, to meet the development requirements in the new phase.

No one has captured the Vietnamese sense of living away from one’s homeland better than poet Nguyen Khoa Diem when he wrote: “They carry the names of their communes and villages on every migration journey.” In the highland city on the Lang Biang Plateau, this sentiment holds true as well. Many people from Hue left their ancestral land to settle here nearly a century ago. Though four or five generations have now been born on this new land, the “Hue spirit” in these distant Hue communities has never faded.

On the Lantern Festival (the Full Moon of the First Lunar Month) more than 15 years ago, the most “pure Hue native” friend I know, architect Nguyen Trong Huan, and I put on thin raincoats and walked together through the light, drifting drizzle to search for Hue’s culinary specialties. Having lived in this city for many years, Huan still longed for the flavors he once tasted.

Two world heritage cities - York (the UK) and Kyoto (Japan) - have been implementing Net Zero tourism models that Hue can refer and adapt to its local context.

Since 2017, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dieu Hanh, Head of the Biology Department at Quoc Hoc - Hue High School for the Gifted, has been tirelessly seeking “seeds”, nurturing and guiding generations of students onto the International Biology Olympiad arena, contributing to the prestige of the century-old school.

Loving heritage culture and having traveled through many regions rich in history, Dang Duy Khoa (born 2002) from the distant Mekong Delta has truly been captivated by Hue. He then decided he had to do something for Hue through his own passion and the architectural knowledge he is pursuing.

Associate Professor Hoang Anh Tien, PhD., MD., (46 years old), Director of the Cardiovascular Center and Head of the Department of Internal Cardiology at Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, has officially been awarded the title of the youngest professor in the medical field in 2025. For Professor Tien, being recognized as one of the youngest professors in medicine this year is a great honor; at the same time, this carries an even greater responsibility, as this milestone reminds him to continually maintain passion and dedication across all aspects of his work.