With a conical hat painted with a Ly Dynasty dragon motif rich in Hue’s identity, K-pop star G-Dragon surprised fans when he appeared at Noi Bai Airport. That very hat was a creation of Maries Co., Ltd., founded and led by CEO Ho Thi Suong Lan, a businesswoman from Hue.

Together with the Huong River - Ngu Mountain, the conical hat and the purple ao dai of Hue Women are also a symbolic cultural combo that is deeply connected with the locals in the Ancient Capital. And the poet Bui Giang once “fell in love”: The poetic conical hat / Taking you to Hue City / Sunshine pierces the rim / Revealing the soul of homeland in poetry… (Taking you to the city).

Although she has never attended any formal art school, Pham Thi Tuong Vi (born in 1992, living at 37/7 Ung Binh, Vy Da Ward) has mastered the art of “dancing” the brush on the traditional conical hat. With her skillful hands and passion for colors, familiar landscapes of her homeland vividly come to life, giving each hat its own distinctive beauty.

In order to research, evaluate the current situation and propose solutions to develop tourism products associated with craft villages, on the afternoon of December 27, the Provincial Institute for Research and Development held a workshop on “Solutions to develop tourism associated with craft villages and replicate the model to be applied to Thua Thien Hue”.