Hue’s recognition with the Vietnam Smart City Award 2025 in the category of “Smart Governance and Administration” is not merely an acknowledgment of achievements. Behind the award lies a more important question: how is digital government actually operated to create real governance capacity, the one that can be measured and continuously improved?

Hue’s elevation to a centrally-governed municipality from early 2025 has taken place in a special context: the country is undergoing a major administrative restructuring, reducing the number of provinces and cities from 63 to 34. While 52 other localities are expanding through mergers, Hue has chosen a different path - no consolidation, no expansion by aggregation, but an upgrade built on its existing identity and structural foundation.

Alongside the famous horse paintings by renowned artist Le Ba Dang, art lovers have been able to admire many other works sharing the same horse theme on the occasion of Binh Ngo Spring 2026.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has just announced the 2024 environmental protection rankings (covering 63 provinces and centrally governed cities before administrative mergers) based on the PEPI Index. Thua Thien Hue Province, now Hue City, has risen to claim first place on the rankings.

On the afternoon of February 4, Mr. Phan Quy Phuong, Standing Member of the City Party Committee and Vice Chairman of Hue City People’s Committee, held a courtesy reception for a delegation from Champasak Province (Lao People’s Democratic Republic). The delegation visited, extended Tet greetings, and congratulated the success of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The delegation was led by Mr. Somboun Heuangvongsa, Standing Member of the Provincial Party Committee, and Vice Chairman of the Champasak Provincial Administration Committee.

On January 17, the counseling booth of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, at the 2026 Admissions and Career Counseling Fair, drew significant attention from a large number of high school students across Hue City and surrounding areas.

On the morning of January 17, Tuoi Tre Newspaper, in collaboration with the Department of Higher Education (Ministry of Education and Training), the Department of Education and Training of Hue City, Hue University, and Hue City Youth Union jointly organized the 2026 Admissions and Career Counseling Program at Hue City Youth Activity Center.

On the afternoon of January 16, Hue Central Hospital held a conference to review its work in 2025 and deploy directions and tasks for 2026.

From January 15 to 18, the Department of Education and Training organized a training session on applying information technology and enhancing the capacity to implement STEM education, and experiential and career orientation activities for administrators and teachers from ethnic minority boarding schools in the area.

On the afternoon of January 15, the Department of Home Affairs held a conference to review its work in 2025 and deploy tasks for 2026.