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.

Ho Dac Cung, a young Hue native raised in Cai Lay, Tien Giang, developed a passion for engine mechanics and, through self-teaching, built his own airplane. In 1935, faced with financial constraints, he wrote to Emperor Bao Dai seeking assistance and received the monarch’s approval.

With special affection for Emperor Ham Nghi, Mr. Gérard Chapuis has diligently collected the emperor's paintings and searched for information in French bibliographic sources, documents, books, and newspapers related to Emperor Ham Nghi to write this book.