On the afternoon of September 19, Hue City People’s Committee held a meeting to review the organization of Hue Heritage and International Music Festival - Hue Wonderverse Music Fest 2026. Vice Chairman of Hue City People’s Committee Tran Huu Thuy Giang chaired the meeting. The meeting was also attended by representatives from relevant departments, agencies, and units.

Changes in planning, infrastructure, and development space as Hue became a centrally governed municipality are opening up more room for the real estate market. However, experts said that this potential can translate into real value only when projects link to infrastructure, user demand, and the characteristics of a heritage city.

Beyond visiting heritage sites, enjoying local cuisine and exploring traditional crafts, residents and visitors to Hue now have more interactive and creative ways to experience the city. From getting acquainted with the handpan and making wagashi by hand to painting and crafting, … small-scale workshops are adding new ‘colors’ to the life experiences in the Ancient Capital.

In this issue, Hue Today Weekly brings readers in-depth perspectives from experts and experienced writers across the fields of culture, the arts and the heritage economy. It also explores topical issues of public interest, including regulations on caps for service fees at public educational institutions across the city, on green tourism, and how Japan preserves its historic villages. ​

On the evening of September 1, tens of thousands of audience members gathered at Hue City Culture and Sports Square, immersing themselves in the vibrant electronic music atmosphere of the Hue Wonderverse Music Fest 2026 - an international heritage and music festival.

On the evening of August 30, thousands of audience members packed the stage area at Hue City’s Culture and Sports Square, immersing themselves in the vibrant atmosphere of Hue Wonderverse Music Fest 2026 - an international heritage and music festival featuring a lineup of renowned singers.

On the morning of August 28, Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR), in collaboration with Quang Tri Province People’s Committee and Hue People’s Committee, officially launched the ‘Phong Nha - Hue Imperial City: A World Heritage Journey’ tourist train at Dong Hoi Railway Station. Later that day, Hue City welcomed the train and held a ceremony to mark its arrival.

Rather than focusing on sheer visitor numbers, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center is shifting its service strategy at the Imperial City and other heritage sites toward product selectivity and enhanced visitor experiences, to attract high-spending tourists.

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.

The exhibition, through the language of photography, aims to strengthen Hue City's cultural diplomacy and expand cooperation with diplomatic missions of ASEAN countries in Vietnam. It will also help promote Hue as a heritage city and a distinctive Festival City of Vietnam, as well as an attractive cultural and tourism destination in the Central region. ​