Many visitors from afar often say that Hue is blessed with an abundance of breathtaking scenery. Wherever the eye turns, beauty unfolds, a poetic Hue City that inspires people to capture and preserve its quiet, gentle, and intimate moments. Perhaps this is why in Hue, every time a camera is raised, a beautiful shot emerges, whether taken with a smartphone or a high-end digital device…

Hue is a land once at the heart of the nation’s political power, culture, and scholarship; yet, today’s Hue is not merely looking back to the past. The city is quietly preparing for a major transformation, aiming to become Asia’s leading smart coastal heritage city by 2045.

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.

There are people who work their entire lives quietly, yet their footprints remain deeply imprinted on the lands they have passed through, like an underground stream that silently nourishes an entire forest. Associate Professor Dr. Le Van Thang, Vice President of Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment, former Director of the Institute of Resources and Environment at Hue University, and former Dean of the Faculty of Environment at the University of Sciences, Hue University, is one such person.

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.

Within the tranquil setting of Hue Imperial Citadel, the melodies of nha nhac (Royal Court Music) resonate slowly and steadily. This enduring musical flow quietly carries echoes of the past, along with the steadfast efforts of those who dedicate themselves each day to preserving the heritage.

In Hue, comic books are not just a childhood pastime; they have gradually taken shape as a distinct cultural feature, preserved by a quiet yet steadfast community of comic lovers.

In Hue, the traditional Lunar New Year “Tet” does not arrive with fanfare. It begins quietly in the kitchen, from a pot of banh tet (a cylindrical sticky rice cake with mung beans and pork) glowing over the fire, from the warm scent of ginger, from a jar of mixed pickled vegetables. Just by looking at these dishes, people in Hue know that Tet is very near.

In the closing days of the year, while many enterprises are racing to fulfill urgent orders, trade unions and employers are quietly working to care for union members and workers ahead of Tet (the Lunar New Year) - those who directly generate value in production.

Quiet workshop sessions have become a popular destination for many young people during the New Year holiday. These workshops offer not only hands-on experiences in making handicrafts but also moments for young participants to slow down emotionally and freely express themselves through colors that bear their own personal imprint.