Lighting up the festival season

The opening performance was both grand and showcased the unique characteristics of the ancient capital - a place of cultural convergence and exchange

Attending the opening ceremony were Secretary of the Central Party Committee, Head of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Le Hoai Trung; Member of the Central Party Committee and Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Le Truong Luu, along with representatives of central ministries and departments; Mr. Jonathan Wallace Baker, Chief Representative of UNESCO in Vietnam, ambassadors from various countries; as well as provincial leaders, former leaders, the Hue Festival Organizing Committee, intellectuals, and thousands of tourists and citizens of Thua Thien Hue.

In his welcoming speech, Secretary of the Central Party Committee Le Hoai Trung highly praised Thua Thien Hue for increasingly demonstrating itself as a unique cultural-tourism center of the country and the region. Hue Festival has made significant strides, showcasing the cultural characteristics of the nation, of Hue ancient capital, and increasingly gaining international stature. This contributes to promoting tourism, economic, and social development, while vividly demonstrating that Vietnam is a country with a rich cultural tradition, a deep respect for culture, and comprehensive and deep international integration.

Mr. Le Hoai Trung also requested Thua Thien Hue to continue effectively preserving and promoting the values of the ancient capital’s heritage and the cultural identity of Hue. "In this collective effort, we hope that the Hue Festival will rise to become a regional forum for cultural convergence and exchange," Mr. Trung said.

In his opening remarks, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van Phuong emphasized: “Building on the great achievements and outstanding potential, unique values of history, culture, and heritage, Hue Festival 2024 will continue to affirm and commit to making Hue a distinct Festival City of Vietnam, worthy of being one of the country’s unique cultural-tourism centers. This significantly contributes to the successful implementation of Resolution 54-NQ/TW of the Politburo with the goal "By 2025, Thua Thien Hue will become a centrally governed city based on the preservation and promotion of the ancient capital's heritage values and Hue’s cultural identity.”

Following the success of previous festivals, this year's Hue Festival Week will continue to spread its communal spirit. In addition to programs in the Imperial Citadel, the organizers have designed many open programs, street festivals, and community stages for international art troupes to perform for the public. At the same time, various localities in the province will also organize many cultural and artistic activities, allowing both residents and visitors to immerse themselves not only in the festival atmosphere but also in the sound and light of unique artistic programs.

Magnificent and rich in identity

Earlier, the "Festival Opening" program at Ngo Mon Square at 5:30 PM on the same day marked the start of Hue International Arts Festival Week 2024. The program combined traditional court rituals with command trumpets, festival drums, and cannon fire in welcome.

After 24 years and 11 festivals, Hue Festival has become a cultural rendezvous for domestic and international artists, and one of Vietnam’s prominent cultural, tourism, and artistic events over many years.

From "Brightening the Heritage Region" opening the artistic program in the sparkling, colorful space of one of the most unique palaces of the Hue Imperial City, with the harmony of Hue Royal Court Music - a special type of music steeped in Hue culture - along with the song "Brightening the Capital.", the performance featured 360 actors on a splendid stage enhanced by modern 3D Mapping technology.

The opening night's artistic program was a synthesis of many art forms, tightly structured, using modern language on the material and cultural identity of the nation. The program consisted of three parts: "Miraculous Ancient Capital," recounting nearly 720 years of history that created today’s Thua Thien Hue, radiant with many heritages, shining over the years with castles casting shadows, and magnificent palaces. For centuries, the nation’s quintessence has been distilled, creating a rich cultural identity, making Hue today a place of cultural convergence and exchange with all regions.

"Music Convergence" featured five impressive performances by domestic and international art troupes with sweet melodies, classic choreography, and lively, free-spirited dances. And, "Bright Forever" depicted Hue’s radiant transformation, with landmarks enchanting the hearts of people as if promising a thousand years. The opening night created a harmonious flow with the theme "Bright Forever." To let Hue continue a new journey, the heritage of the ancient capital through festivals will continuously integrate, spreading traditional values today and in the future.

After the opening ceremony, Hue Festival 2024 will feature many activities showcasing the values of court and folk culture, many attractive artistic programs, and special community activities from June 8-12.

Spanning six days and nights, from June 7-12, Hue International Arts Festival Week 2024 is truly a multi-colored cultural gathering; bringing together 30 art troupes from France, Belgium, Spain, Canada, Japan, China, Korea, and Vietnam, offering audiences dozens of artistic programs rich in the cultural identity of many regions around the world. The artistic programs blend in the ancient space of a scholarly ancient capital with eight UNESCO-recognized heritages.

Vibrant images from the opening night: