On the afternoon of April 24th, the city’s Tourism Association, together with representatives of tourism enterprises, held a reception and working session with a delegation from the Consulate General of the Republic of Belarus in Ho Chi Minh City, led by Consul General Alexander Dmitrievich Sidoruk. Leaders of the Department of Foreign Affairs also attended the meeting.

Immaculate martial arts uniforms still scented with new fabric, together with handwritten letters carrying coaches’ messages, are essential items that Mr. Le Van Loc, head coach of the Hue City Karate Team, prepares for each recruitment trip to the A Luoi highlands.

On the evening of April 1, Prime Minister and Head of the National Civil Defense Steering Committee Pham Minh Chinh, together with President of the Central Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front Bui Thi Minh Hoai, co-chaired a nationwide conference, held both in-person and online, on disaster prevention and control for 2026.

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.

The 2026 National Beach Wrestling Championship took place from March 8 to 15 in Bac Ninh, bringing together nearly 600 male and female athletes from 21 provinces, cities, and sectors. Competitors contested 54 weight categories in both the championship and youth championship divisions.

At the end of each year, together with many medical schools across the country, the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, holds the “Macchabée Festival - Gratitude to Those Who Donate Their Bodies to Science”. Held annually, the event has become a meaningful tradition for medical and pharmacy students to express their deep gratitude and respect to the “silent teachers” - those who have chosen to dedicate their bodies to the advancement of knowledge and the preservation of life.

On March 6th, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, Member of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of Hue City People’s Committee, together with representatives of several relevant departments and agencies, held a working session and inspected the progress of investment and construction of boarding inter-level schools (primary and lower secondary) in A Luoi 3 and A Luoi 4 communes.

The humanitarian “zero-cost surgery” programs at hospitals have supported many children from disadvantaged backgrounds. It is a deeply humane journey, made possible by teams of doctors and medical staff together with compassionate volunteers across the country, all sharing the hope of bringing joy and happiness to these children.

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.

Thousands of flower pots, together with decorative miniatures featuring the horse mascot along the two banks of the Perfume River, have emerged as a focal point of the Binh Ngo Tet (Lunar New Year of the Horse) 2026. The urban space of Hue has thus preserved its ancient charm while creating a distinct touch of modern beauty.