A move demonstrating expert technical skill 

Participating in the 2018 Hue Unicorn Dancing Festival are famous teams from Thua Thien Hue province and other central provinces such as Da Nang, Quang Tri, Quang Binh ... The judges are national judges and the format of the competitions is in accordance with international rules.

In his opening speech, Mr. Le Huu Minh, Acting Director of the Department of Tourism stated that the festival aimed to affirm the title ‘Hue – the Festival City of Vietnam’; to step by step build the image of Hue - the capital of festivals, to diversify the activities of exploring and discovering different destinations for tourists; and to introduce special festivals and interesting forms of Hue cultural experience to tourists. In addition, the festival also aimed to promote and introduce beautiful images and the lively atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Festival in the ancient capital, working towards selecting specific festivals to organize annually for tourism development of Thua Thien Hue.

The Unicorn Dancing Festival this year takes place in two days, September 19 - 20, with two rounds: Mai hoa thung and Nhat dia buu. On the night of Sep.19, the Mai hoa thung competition took place. This is one of the most difficult dances of the unicorn and dragon dancing art form, which is often used in international competitions. The Mai hoa thung dance is traditional, risky and dramatic and contains many unexpected elements.

The seven performances on Sep. 19 showed expert skills and techniques that portrayed the magical power of the unicorn, a kind of magical beast known in many myths and decorations of Hue's royal court. The performers gave the audience exciting and captivating performances. 

In addition, within the program of the 2018 Unicorn Dancing Festival, there are activities, such as performances of artists in the area, performances of unicorn-lion-dragon team dances; and exchanges between participating teams...

The judges scored each performance on the difficulty level of the dance, the drum beats and the content and ideas. In the Mai hoa thung round, Bach Ngoc Duong team from Hue city won the first prize.

The festival, taking place close to the Mid-Autumn Festival, attracted thousands of spectators to watch and cheer for the teams, especially the children, creating an exciting atmosphere for the city during this festive season.

On the night of Sep. 20, the Nhat dia buu competition round took place in front of Quoc Hoc Monument.

Some images from the night of September 19

Mr. Nguyen Dung, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee presenting souvenir flags to the teams

Opening drumming

The dance showcasing the majestic air of the magical beast

Good cooperation

Risky jumps

The action of “eating flowers” - a characteristic of the Mai hoa thung dance

Thousands of spectators and visitors came to Quoc Hoc Monument to watch unicorn dances

Bach Ngoc Duong team won the first prize in the Mai Hoa Thung competition

By Duc Quang