Visiting ‘Hue Beef Noodle Soup Day’ as part of the ‘Hue - Culinary Capital 2026’ program, I am reminded of Miss Noodle from folk legend and the late, famous American chef Anthony Bourdain.

After 4 days of taking place from July 23 to 26, the program Hue - Culinary Capital 2026, which was held under the theme ‘The Day of Hue Beef Noodle’, attracted about 48,000 tourist arrivals and generated an estimated revenue of about 12 billion VND.

On the evening of July 25th, at Thuong Bac Park, the Department of Tourism, in collaboration with partner organizations, staged the "Bun bo Hue - The Legend of Van Cu and Huong Ngu Symphony" performance, a signature event of Hue - Culinary Capital 2026 program. The event was attended by Mr. Tran Huu Thuy Giang, Member of the City Party Committee and Vice Chairman of Hue City People's Committee.

On the late afternoon of July 24, the Department of Tourism, in coordination with relevant units, organized the National Bun bo Hue Festival. This is one of the highlight activities of the Hue - Culinary Capital 2026 program, aimed at honoring traditional values and spreading the Bun bo Hue brand to a wide audience of residents and visitors.

Beyond a celebration of Hue Beef Noodle, the iconic dish of the Ancient Capital, the Hue - Culinary Capital 2026 program has become a vibrant showcase of culinary excellence from across Vietnam. From Hue’s traditional flavors to regional specialties from every corner of the country, each food stall and every dish tells a story of Vietnam’s rich cultural identity, taking visitors on a journey that awakens all their senses.

On the evening of July 23, at Thuong Bac Park in Phu Xuan Ward, Hue City, Hue - Culinary Capital 2026 program, themed ‘Bun bo Hue (Hue beef noodle soup) Day’, officially opened. The program is led by the Department of Tourism, in coordination with relevant units, as part of Hue Festival 2026 series of events.

On the morning of July 10, Hue Department of Tourism, in collaboration with Acecook Vietnam JSC, held a press conference to announce ‘Hue - Culinary Capital 2026’ program under the theme ‘Hue Beef Noodle (Bun bo Hue) Day’. The event was co-chaired by Vice Chairman of Hue City People's Committee Tran Huu Thuy Giang.

More than just a place serving authentic dishes from the Ancient Capital, Hue Thuong restaurant in the heart of Osaka, Japan, has become a familiar gathering place for Hue natives living far from home. Through every delicately prepared dish, the restaurant preserves and shares the cultural values and culinary essence of Hue.

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 evening of December 18, in Hue City, a ceremony was held to officially receive the national intangible cultural heritage title for folk knowledge related to Bun Bo Hue (Hue Beef Noodle Soup), alongside the opening of the International Culinary Festival “Hue - Culinary Capital”.