Having traveled through many of the world’s leading technology hubs, Albert Antoine still retains his Hue accent and a deep-seated concern for his homeland. Returning from the world of data and artificial intelligence (AI), he brings with him a different perspective on how his hometown needs to move faster, deeper, and more sustainably.

“Afternoon in My Homeland” was not only an artistic program commemorating the late musician Trinh Cong Son, but also a gathering of kindred spirits who share a deep affinity for his music.

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.

Ask the people of Hue what flower they love most, and most will likely answer: the apricot blossom. To put it more formally, “hoang mai” - yellow apricot, without a doubt. Don’t believe it? Come to Hue and see for yourself! There’s a whole movement called “Yellow apricot blossom in front of the entrance”; a completed research project on “Conservation and development of Hue’s yellow apricot variety (Hue’s Hoang mai)”; a scientific conference on developing Hue’s Hoang mai into a key local product, aimed at successfully realizing the project to build Thua Thien Hue province (now Hue City) into Vietnam’s yellow apricot homeland. My friend, journalist Minh Tu, even published a book called “In front of the house stands a yellow apricot tree”, which sold out instantly, was reprinted, and translated into foreign languages to great acclaim.

On the afternoon of February 19, at Keiser University (28 Nguyen Tri Phuong), a non-profit community event themed “Spring Awakening of Dreams: The Journey of Hue people to the World's Top 1% Universities” took place in a warm and inspiring atmosphere. The program gathered notable figures from Hue, who conquered the world's top prestigious universities, returning to engage in direct dialogue with the younger generation in their hometown.

As Lunar New Year approaches, areas around universities grow increasingly quiet. Traffic thins out, while many eateries and photocopy shops close for the holiday. Boarding houses fall silent as most students head home by the 24th or 25th day of the lunar December; those who remain are mainly from distant hometowns, working part-time, or hoping to experience Tet in a new place.

Not as common as apricot blossoms or chrysanthemums, daffodils can still be found in a few homes in Hue whenever spring returns. Enthusiasts carefully trim the bulbs, change the water, and watch the buds day by day, hoping the flowers will bloom exactly at the turn of the Lunar New Year – an elaborate pastime to welcome the new year.

On the evening of February 12, at Phu Bai International Airport, the City Labor Federation organized a welcome and gift-giving program for union members and workers on the “Trade Union Flight - Spring 2026,” returning home to celebrate Binh Ngo Lunar New Year 2026.

On the morning of February 11, Hue Central Hospital organized the “Compassion Bus” program, providing transportation support for underprivileged patients undergoing treatment at the hospital to return home and celebrate the Lunar New Year with their families.

The “Compassionate Bus” program, which brings students with disadvantaged backgrounds home for Tet, has become a humanitarian activity of member institutions of Hue University, giving young people the opportunity to reunite with their families during the spring holidays.

After more than a century, 21 paintings by Emperor Ham Nghi have returned to their homeland for the first time in the exhibition "Sky, Mountains, Water - Allusive Panorama", held at Kien Trung Palace, Imperial Citadel, Hue.