Early in the morning, in a three-bay house filled with sea air in Phuong Loc Village (Phu Vinh Commune), 73-year-old Tran Van Than, surrounded by bamboo baskets, miniature boats, and coracles, was moving his hands skillfully with thin bamboo strips. Having spent decades making a living from the sea, though his health no longer allows him to work at sea, his deep affection for his hometown’s sea lives on through every product he makes.

These days, along several alleys on Bao Vinh Street, many old walls are being given a new look with murals depicting ancient houses, riverside landing stages, boats, and the daily life of what was once a trading port.

A procession of boats taking part in the Hue Nam Temple Festival (Hon Chen Temple) traveled one after another from downtown Hue City upstream along the Huong River toward Mount Ngoc Tran, creating a lively atmosphere on the river.

At dawn, the coastal area of Vinh Loc Commune was already bustling with activity. On the sandy shore, groups of fishermen busily prepared for the first drag-net haul of the day. Boats returning after a night of fishing hurried back to shore. Amid this energetic rhythm of labor, many young people came to directly experience the lives of fishermen in the coastal fishing village.

For many years, the development of waterway tourism has been a consistent goal, as the potential of Hue's rivers remained largely untapped. Following the City People's Committee's announcement of the inland waterway route on the Ngu Ha River, along with the pilot launch of heritage-linked tourism routes using electric boats on the Huong River and its tributaries, the local waterway tourism is expected to be unlocked.

Hue City People’s Committee has officially announced the opening of an inland waterway route on the Ngu Ha river, spanning 3,5 km, set to begin operations on April 10th, 2026. This marks the initial step in a project to introduce electric tourist boats, expected to be launched around April 30th, opening up new prospects for river-based tourism and enabling the exploration of heritage spaces by water.

We lay on the sand, quietly hearing the gentle melody of the waves and the melodious sound of winds gently gliding around us. The moon veiled the shore with a dim mist-like light. Far out at sea was layer after layer of light from fishing boats like thousands of remote stars. Amid the peaceful melody of the earth and sky, a gentle sleep came. Until the red east appeared on the horizon, we woke up, starting a wonderful new day.

On the evening of May 20, the Provincial Executive Board of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and the Vesak 2568 Organization Board held the opening ceremony of flower boat parade. After the opening ceremony, the flower boats will parade on the Huong River. This is one of the important activities within the framework of the Vesak Week 2568.

A large crowd attending Hue Nam Temple Festival (or Hon Chen Temple) took part in a solemn land procession from Thien Tien Holy Shrine (352 Chi Lang, Hue City) to Nghinh Luong Dinh (Nghinh Luong Pavilion) before embarking on boats to move to the temple.