Friday, 02/01/2026 13:02
(GMT+7)
Welcoming the New Year in a Gentle Atmosphere
HNN.VN - On the first day of 2026, sunny weather set a serene and poetic tone in Hue. Both visitors and residents took time to savor the city’s unhurried, gentle pace. Beyond its famed heritage sites, spiritual and cultural spaces, parks, and public recreation areas were bustling with visitors.
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| The first visitors “ushering in” the New Year at the Hue Imperial Citadel on the morning of January 1 |
From early morning on January 1, a large number of visitors and local residents gathered in front of Ngo Mon Gate to watch a staged reenactment of Ban Soc ceremony, an imperial calendar-bestowing ritual of the Nguyen Dynasty. The event also marked the highlight opening the festival season running throughout 2026.
“The New Year atmosphere is charming, and I hope the whole year will be the same. I also wish for Hue’s tourism to thrive and the life in this land to remain peaceful and gentle,” said Ms. Nguyen Hoai Thu, a Hue resident visiting the area in front of Ngo Mon Gate.
Beyond the Hue Imperial Citadel, other sites within the Hue Complex of Monuments also saw large crowds on the first day of the New Year. Meanwhile, public parks and community-based attractions such as the riverside walking street along the Huong River, Thuy Xuan incense village, and Hue’s ancient pagodas were also popular stops for visitors.
Among the crowds heading out on New Year’s Day, many young people were dressed in traditional ao dai. They said they had closely monitored the weather during the four-day New Year holiday and took advantage of the sunny early days to explore and enjoy Hue.
Traveling from Da Nang to Hue, Ms. Duong Thu Quynh (27) said it had been a long time since she last returned to Hue Ancient Capital, and she felt lucky to be greeted by beautiful weather on the first day of 2026. “The weather is not only ideal for getting around, but it also allows us to explore more landscapes and freely pose for lots of great photos,” Ms. Quynh said enthusiastically.
Following are some photos taken on the first day of 2026 by Hue Today Newspaper:
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| Chairman of Hue City People’s Committee Nguyen Khac Toan (second, from left) and city leaders presenting gifts to visitors to Hue Imperial Citadel |
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| Young people in traditional ao dai enjoying outings on the first day of the New Year |
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| Other cultural and religious tourist destinations are also crowded with visitors |
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Thuy Xuan incense village, one of the favorite destinations of tourists on the first day of 2026
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| Tu Hieu Ancient Pagoda also attracting young tourists coming to visit and posing for photos |
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| Streams of visitors to Tu Duc Mausoleum |
By Nhat Minh