Amid a Native American festival in southeastern Oklahoma, I came upon Choctaw children learning traditional games from elders, and young women dressed in traditional attire. Tens of thousands of people traveled to an area far from major urban centers to meet, play, and enjoy food in a community cultural setting. The scene suddenly reminded me of my past trips to A Luoi and Nam Dong.

From the evening of September 12th through September 14th, Hue is expected to continue experiencing heavy to very heavy rain, with some areas forecast to receive more than 250mm. The prolonged rainfall has heightened the risk of flash floods and landslides in mountainous areas and along the streams, while low-lying and urban areas face an increased threat of flooding.

From August 26 to September 15, the city’s health sector is rolling out the first high-dose Vitamin A supplementation campaign of 2026 for children aged 6 to under 60 months in ethnic minority and mountainous communes. The campaign aims to provide children with essential micronutrients and help reduce malnutrition rates in these areas.

The Times Magazine of the UK has unveiled its list of Vietnam’s 11 most beautiful destinations in 2026, highlighting a diverse range of places, from vibrant urban centers and mountainous regions to coastal and island destinations and nature reserves. Hue is notably among the destinations featured on the list.

The new multi-level boarding schools are gradually taking shape in the border area of A Luoi, bringing joy and hope to students and parents, as well as expectations for a new chapter in education in the mountainous region.

On the morning of August 17, in Khe Tre Commune, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Association of the Elderly, the Thien Tam Fund (Vingroup), and the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance, in coordination with Saigon Eye Hospital - Song Han, held a humanitarian eye-screening program for ethnic minority people in the two mountainous communes of Khe Tre and Long Quang.

Hue Today No. 474 features a range of notable stories, including the city’s regular citizen reception program, the training of doctors for mountainous areas, ongoing DNA sampling to identify fallen soldiers, and a talk show by a professor with students on the enduring love for the ao-dai.

On July 13th and 14th, Hue Odonto-Stomatology Hospital, in collaboration with Hong Lien Foundation, Inc., organized a community outreach program providing free dental examinations, consultations, and treatment, along with charitable donations, for residents in the mountainous district of A Luoi. The initiative aims to improve oral health while promoting compassion and supporting social welfare.

On July 11th, Vietnam's Ministry of Health, in coordination with Hue City People's Committee, Hue Central Hospital, and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Young Physicians Association, organized a free health screening program for more than 1.000 residents in Binh Dien and Khe Tre communes. The initiative aims to bring high-quality healthcare services closer to local communities, strengthen primary healthcare, and advance the goal of comprehensive health management for the entire population.

When the Pa Co language finds its voice on digital platforms, and when history is recreated through virtual reality technology, the traditional cultural values of A Luoi are also discovering new pathways for preservation and sustainable dissemination in the digital age. Remarkably, this initiative is the result of a scientific innovation project developed by a group of students from this mountainous region.