Hue Festival – a melting pot of global cultures

The 2010 Hue Festival, the largest ever so far, will act as a melting pot of ancient capital cities and cities that are world cultural heritage sites, said a local official. Ngo Hoa, Vice Chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue People’s Committee, said that from June 5-13, the festival will include artists from 31 countries around the world, including Russia, Denmark, China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, India, Thailand, Laos, the US, Mexico, Argentina, Australia and France.
Hoa, who is also Head of the Organising Board, further said that French performers, who are a regular feature of the Hue Festival, will put on a variety of entertainments including exhibitions, installation art works, street performances and a selection of concerts and displays.
With the theme “Cultural Heritage with Integration and Development”, in the lead up to the millennium anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi and the 50th anniversary of the sister cities of Hanoi - Hue - Saigon, the Hue Festival this year will feature a wide range of large-scale, impressive cultural shows.
In addition to the revived old imperial celebrations such as Le Te Giao (offering rituals), Dem Hoang Cung (Imperial Night), Kham Pha Huyen Thoai Song Huong (Exploring the legend of the Perfume river), this year’s festival will launch a programme named “Hanh Trinh Mo Coi” which presents the nation’s attempts to reclaim the lands in the south of the country from the 10 th century to 1945.
The Naval manoeuvres of Lord Nguyen Phuc Lan, will also be re-enacted on the Huong River to celebrate the 375 years since Lord Lan chose Kim Long as the capital city. Close to 1,000 people and 72 warships will take part in the event.
In particular, the three forms of traditional Vietnamese arts that have been recognised by UNESCO as world cultural heritages – Nha Nhac (royal music), Ca Tru (ceremonial singing) and Quan Ho (love duets) and other traditional types of music like Cheo (traditional opera) and folk songs will be performed together in a programme called “The Breath of Water.”
Dem Phuong Dong (Oriental night) will spotlight the charming and unique beauty of several Asian costumes, including the Vietnamese Ao Dai (traditional long dress).
Almost all the events will be held outdoors, which will add a new dimension to the festival and be new and interesting for the tens of thousands of visitors both at home and abroad, Hoa stressed.
Thua Thien-Hue province will also launch a number of new tours, to give holidaymakers the chance to explore local lagoons, go on pilgrimages to various holy sites, or simply enjoy songs and music along the banks of the Huong River.
First held in 2000, the biennial Hue Festival has been a tremendous success. In 2008, the festival attracted nearly 2,000 domestic and foreign artists and 180,000 visitors, including 30,000 from overseas.