Hue is a land that bears the imprint of the southward migration and territorial expansion undertaken more than 700 years ago by the people of ancient Thuan Hoa. Very few documents reveal the timing of these migration waves or the organization and formation of Vietnamese villages in the region. Yet during fieldwork, I gained access to several ancient Han-Nom documents recording the migration, land reclamation, and establishment of villages and communes. Most notably is a cadastral record dating to the 9th year of the Dai Hoa reign (1451) under King Le Nhan Tong, compiled exactly 575 years ago.

Following the Hung Kings’ Commemoration Day, Hue continues to see a surge in visitors during the April 30 - May 1 holiday, with occupancy rates at many accommodation establishments are near full capacity. The influx has pushed the tourism sector and businesses to ramp up efforts to ensure both service quality and flexible management of operations, heading to the goals of enhancing visitor experiences and reaching industry development.

On May 4, Mr. Nguyen Khac Toan, Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, and Chairman of Hue City People’s Committee, on behalf of the leadership and people of Hue City, sent a letter of appreciation to valued domestic and international visitors who chose Hue as their destination during the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day holiday and the holidays of Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers' Day (May 1). Hue Today Newspaper respectfully presents the full text of the letter to our valued readers.

On the morning of April 27th, the Department of Tourism reported that the total number of visitors to Hue during this year’s Hung Kings’ Commemoration holiday was estimated at around 310.500. This marks a sharp increase compared to the same holiday in 2025, when Hue welcomed 109.000 visitors.

To timely serve visitors during the upcoming Hung Kings Commemoration Day and the April 30 - May 1 holidays, on April 22, the Department of Tourism announced communication channels to provide information on accommodation and tourism services.

On the morning of April 13, the 38th National Cycling Tournament “Non song lien mot dai” (A Unified Country)” entered its 10 Stage, from Hue City to Danang City” with the start right in front of Nghinh Luong Dinh.

The tourism market on the occasion of Hung Kings’ Commemoration Day and the April 30th – May 1st holiday in 2026 began heating up as early as the beginning of March. Unlike previous years, travelers are increasingly booking earlier and favoring short-haul trips over long-haul experiential journeys.

The Huyen Tran Temple Festival, held on Ngu Phong Mountain in early spring, reminds later generations of the great contributions of Buddhist King Tran Nhan Tong and Princess Huyen Tran - historical figures who played a vital role in the work of expanding the border of Dai Viet toward the South.

In Greek mythology, the supreme god Zeus transformed himself into a bull to seduce the beautiful princess Europa. When she mounted his back, the bull carried her across the sea to the island of Crete, where she gave birth to great kings, seen as an allegory for the birth of European civilization. The continent of Europe was therefore named after her – Europa, later known by the common name Europe.

On July 29th, the Vietnam Center for the Development of Maternal and Child Health, in coordination with Hue Central Hospital, held the opening ceremony for the first-level postgraduate neonatal medicine training course based on standards from the United Kingdom. This marks an important step forward in improving the quality of neonatal care in Vietnam, particularly in underserved regions.

A piano technician, someone who maintains and repairs the "Kings of Instruments", is a profession few pursue today. It does not offer high income, while each maintenance session take times, possibly up to six hours or more for tuning and adjustments, depending on the condition and “ailment” of each piano.