It is not even the end of the sixth lunar month, but I have already heard elderly men in my neighborhood enthusiastically asking one another how the upcoming Autumn offering ceremony will be organized at the village communal house, and whether the heads of the clans have made plans to meet yet. It may seem strange that amid the bustle of city life, these elderly men are passionately talking about village affairs. The village communal house is not far away either, just a few dozen meters from my house. “The city also began with villages. Preserving the roots of the village means preserving its culture for future generations. You young people should remember that,” they would tell me whenever I asked.

People say that Hue is so strange that every time you pick up the camera to take a photo, a beautiful corner will be covered into your lens, no matter it is taken by a professional camera or just a smartphone. This is even truer when Hue enters the dewy season, the time when chilly air mingles with the warmth of the sun.

Amid the bustling rhythm of urban life, I love taking a long pause to enjoy the slow and steady pedaling of Hue’s cyclo drivers. There, although I deeply sympathize with the hard work of these men, who are the breadwinners of their families, in turn, it also reminds me of the strangely peaceful feeling of Hue.

Regardless of day or night, Vientiane (Laos) is not noisy and bustling but strangely quiet. There, thousands of Vietnamese people, many of whom view Vientiane as their second homeland, are earning their living.

A Biah Hill, a.k.a Hamburger Hill, or Hill 937 is one of two historical destinations in the A Luoi highlands. The higher you climb towards the top of the hill, the narrower and more desolate the road becomes. Yet, this place still has a strange attraction for tourists, especially veterans from both within and outside the country. Many elderly visitors have to cut trees to make walking sticks, conquering more than 850 steps over 1.5km long to reach the summit.

Thuy Xuan hill area, Hue city is famous for ancient pagodas such as Tu Hieu, Dong Thuyen, Bao Lam, Chau Lam, Dieu Nghiem, etc. Being lost in the clouds and wind with many rows of pine trees rustling on these hillsides in the early morning or at dusk, and listening to the sound of temple bells ringing in the wind and the steady sound of wooden bell echoing from the pagodas make my heart strangely calm and peaceful.

Upon contemplating the city in the brushstrokes of artist Hoang Dang Khanh, viewers seem to immerse themselves in many different emotions, ranging from peacefulness, romance, desolation, strangeness, sometimes solitariness and loneliness. This artist from Hue seems tireless after many years of pursuing the city theme. As for him, those city quarters not only nourished his soul but also gave him mixed memories of joy and sadness.