Speaking at the press conference, Vice chairman of Thua Thien Hue Provincial People's Committee, Chief of Hue Festival 2018 Organizing Board Nguyen Dung kindly informed that Hue Festival 2018 themed "Cultural heritages with integration and development, Hue - one destination, five heritages" will be held from April 27th, 2018 to May 2nd, 2018. Hue Festival 2018 features special art programs of typical cultures in Vietnam and countries in the world. It is an opportunity to promote Hue as the city of culture, heritages as well as the Festival city and featured city of Vietnam. In addition, the event introduces Hue traditional and royal quintessences to domestic and foreign audiences. Attending Hue 2018 Festival, visitors will have a chance to learn, visit and experience unique values of the five UNESCO recognized heritages i.e. Complex of Hue Monuments, Hue Royal Court Music, Nguyen dynasty Woodblock; Imperial Archives of the Nguyen dynasty and Literature on Hue Royal Architecture. Recently, Hue along with other 9 Central provinces and cities has become co-owner of the UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage called Bai choi Art - a folk music genre practiced in central Vietnam.
Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Hue Festival 2018 Organizing Board Nguyen Dung answers the press after the press conference
Through 9 festival seasons, Hue Festival has affirmed its trademark and partly shaped in global professional festival community. Hue Festival 2018 continues to re-enact many unique royal daily activities in the magical space; programs showcasing folk art quintessences; Aodai Festival; art program of the Provincial Buddhist Sangha; street art programs, etc. Other events in celebrating Festival Hue performed by domestic and foreign artists will also be held.
Regards to questions related to art troupes participating in the coming Festival season, Vice Chairman Dung kindly informed that Hue Festival 2018 will bring together over 20 international art troupes from France, Russia, South Korea, China, Japan, Israel, Thailand, the Philippines, England, Denmark, Spain, Belgium, Slovakia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Australia and Morocco, etc. Besides, domestic art troupes from country-wide regions, artists from Hanoi city and Ho Chi Minh City as well as local artists will devote unique, elegant and diverse traditional and contemporary values in Vietnam in integration and development.
In response to questions related to festivals and organizing space, Deputy Director in charge of Hue Festival Center Huynh Tien Dat informed that royal festivals such as Nam Giao Sacrifice Ceremony, Xa Tac Sacrifice Ceremony, Huyen Tran Temple Festival, Hon Chen Palace Festival, Cornoration Festival of King Nguyen Hue, etc will be organized on the basis of completed content and advanced quality. Hue Festival 2018 continues to exploit traditional cultural space of previous Hue Festival seasons. In addition to outdoor and indoor stages of Hue Imperial City Center, other stages in Hue city (for example, Cung An Dinh, Noon Gate Square, War Memorial and community stages) as well as districts and townsare expected to create exciting atmosphere during Hue Festival 2018.
Delivering the concluding speech at the press conference, Vice Chairman Dung introduced "Van hien kinh ky" program to be held for Festival 2018. Accordingly, it is a new monumental program developed on the basis of "Hue Imperial city by night" to honor the 5 heritages and celebrate the 25th anniversary of of UNESCO recognition bestowed on Hue Monuments Complex as world cultural heritage. On this occasion, National Festival of “Hát văn” or “Chầu văn” (spiritual singing) will also be organized for the first time.
Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Hue Festival 2018 Organizing Board Nguyen Dung speaks at the press conference
Hue Festival 2018 is organized on the same occasion of cultural and historical milestones of Thua Thien Hue province and Vietnam such as the 50th anniversary of Mau Than Spring General Offensive and Uprising (1968 - 2018); 230thanniversary of King Nguyen Hue's Coronation on Ban mount (1788 - 2018); 25th anniversary of Hue Monuments Complex being recognized as a world cultural heritage (1993 - 2018); 15th anniversary of UNESCO recognition bestowed on Hue’s Court Music as a Masterpiece of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity (2003 - 2018).
In his remark, Vice Chairman Dung affirmed that Hue Festival 2018 is expected to be a festival season showcasing special, impressive and attractive features appealing far and near tourists.