Hue is a heritage city, but Hue’s cultural strength does not lie solely in its citadel, palaces, royal tombs, or historic architecture. Behind these tangible forms of heritage lies a vibrant world of music, festivals, beliefs, traditional crafts, cuisine, clothing, and folk knowledge. This is the ‘soul’ that gives Hue its distinctive identity.

Ceramic mosaic inlay has long contributed to the beauty of Hue’s royal architecture. Continuing these values, young artisan Huynh Kim Nhat Minh, born in the 1990s in Phu Xuan ward of Hue City, has devoted great passion to creating new works, bringing the art of ceramic mosaic inlay closer to everyday life.

The traditional Moong house is a unique form of folk architecture, closely associated with the formation and development of the Pa Co community in Truong Son mountain range. In the Pa Co language, the Moong house, also known as Dung Moong, is not merely a house but a shared communal space that symbolizes unity, cohesion, and the community spirit.

Alongside the Hue heritage complex, the French architectural works that remain today are seen as part of the soul of Hue’s urban landscape. Through the lens of sketching, these structures appear to take on a new look and a different kind of “life” in the eyes of artists and architects.

Quoc An, one of the oldest ancestral pagodas in Hue, is well known not only for its ancient architecture or long history, but also for its collection of statues, antiques, and precious documents, which are preserved almost intact.

In the depth of Hue culture, gardens are not merely green zones, acting as supporting elements for architecture, but a constituent factor shaping the urban identity. Hue is famous for the Perfume River, Mount Ngu, the Citadel, royal tombs, pagodas, and noble residences, but Hue is also well known for its gardens. In Hue, gardens soften architecture, calm the everyday life, deepen poetry, and create a unique urban style: a garden city, a city of poetry, the harmony between man and nature, or “an urban poem” as said by M’Bow, former Director-General of UNESCO.

During the participation in the VnExpress Marathon Hue 2026, runners will benefit from a free admission to tourist attractions managed by Hue Monuments of Conservation Center. It will offer both domestic and international runners the opportunity to further explore the history, architecture, and culture of Hue Ancient Capital.

That was the theme of the discussion held by Hue Architects Association in collaboration with other related agencies on the afternoon of December 16 at the Book Space and Reading Culture (No. 23 - 25 Le Loi Street, Thuan Hoa Ward).

Once being the Imperial Capital under the Nguyen Dynasty, Hue has undergone many historical phases, and today the city is regarded as one of Vietnam’s few cities where multiple architectural traditions coexist. It brings together folk, royal, colonial, and modern styles, developing in a way that balances the architecture, landscape, and culture, forming a distinctive urban identity.

Besides the ancient heritage architectural works with splendid beauty, future architects also depicted a truthful yet incredibly gentle portrayal when sketching modern constructions of Hue City on its development.