Thousands flock to enjoy vibrant Hue Festival

A series of diverse performances have been taking place at the ongoing Festival Hue 2014 – the biggest and most eclectic cultural event in the central province of Thua Thien Hue.
The “Dem Hoang Cung” (Royal Night) event, one of the highlights of the festival, took place on April 15 on an evening packed with music, dancing, games and cuisine once favoured by Hue’s royal court.
Visitors were taken back in time for some lively scenes, including a royal feast and a changing of the guard ceremony. They were also offered the chance to see historical remnants from the royal era, including the imperial autographs of the Nguyen Dynasty’s kings.
Meanwhile, a “Dem Phuong Dong” (Oriental Night) event celebrating the beauty, glamour and distinctive characteristics of many Asian countries’ costumes was held on the same evening in Thai Hoa Temple, inside the Hue Royal Palace.
Taking part were designers from 11 countries, including Japan, China, India, Mongolia and Thailand.
Earlier in the day, an Asian food festival was held in Hue’s Phu Xuan Park, featuring dishes from many regional nations, including Vietnam.
According to Nguyen Van Tuan, Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the event helped promote the host country’s culinary tradition and improved tourism links between participating nations.
The festival, which will run until April 20, has also offered performances from artistic troupes hailing from all around the world – from Japanese drum performances to Belgian stilt walking demonstrations.
More than 97,000 holiday-makers have flocked to the central province of Thua Thien-Hue for the festival, 48 percent of them from overseas (spread across 103 nations).
The number of French tourists accounted for the highest rate, with 7,263 people, followed by 6,271 from Thailand.