Hue Festival 2014 Opening Ceremony: Impressive and attractive

On the evening of April 12, at Ngo Mon Square, Thua Thien-Hue province held an impressive, grand and attractive opening ceremony of Hue Festival 2014.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivered the opening speech at Hue Festival 2014. (Photo: Minh Duc - VNA)

Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, together with leaders and former leaders of the Party, National Assembly, Government, central ministries and branches; localities, international guests, sponsors, representatives of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, and a large number of people and tourists attended the opening ceremony.

Also attending the ceremony was Comrade Xayshomphon Phonvihane, Member of the Party Central Committee, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that the ancient capital of Phu Xuan-Thua Thien-Hue is a cultural convergence point of the nation, a meeting place and a place for the harmony between cultures. With the unique heritage values ​​​​still preserved to this day, in 1993, the Hue Monuments Complex was honored by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage.

Exactly 10 years later, in 2003, Hue Royal Court Music was recognized as the first Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. These are the first tangible and intangible cultural heritages of Vietnam officially recognized by UNESCO.

To promote the world-famous heritages and unique local culture, Hue Festival is held every two years. Through 7 editions, the success of Hue Festival has increasingly demonstrated the uniqueness of Vietnamese culture.

Hue Festival is also a meeting place and a bridge between ethnic groups when converging on the ancient capital to perform the unique cultural beauty of their own people, bearing their own mark and vitality, opening up opportunities for cooperation, friendship, building and developing together for a peaceful and prosperous world on the basis of cultural diversity. Thereby, contributing to raising the country's position in the international arena, making culture truly one of the important foreign relations channels of the Party and State.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc pointed out that in order for the Festival to become more and more lively and bring about practical results, Thua Thien-Hue needs to continue to coordinate more closely with ministries, branches and localities to effectively implement the goal of building and promoting the good qualities of Vietnamese people, protecting the precious cultural traditions of the nation in the current conditions of market economy and international integration; identifying the top task of organizing Hue Festival is to promote and introduce Vietnamese culture, people and country to international friends.

Mr. Nguyen Van Cao, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thua Thien-Hue province, said that Hue Festival 2014 with the theme "Cultural heritage with integration and development" will take place from April 12-20.

Within the framework of Hue Festival 2014, there will also be the East Asia-Latin America Cultural Exchange Forum initiated by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the ASEAN+3 Ministers in charge of Culture and Arts Conference, the International Dance Festival, the International Food Festival and many other international cultural and sports activities; many other conferences, seminars, exhibitions, fairs and festivals will also be held.

Hue Festival 2014 with the participation of 66 art troupes from 37 countries and territories of 5 continents will bring to the audience hundreds of art programs imbued with the cultural identity of Vietnam and other countries.

Through these activities, Hue Festival 2014 continues to be a place for convergence and meeting of cultural quintessence of countries, contributing to promoting cultural exchange, attracting tourists, developing the economy, becoming a tourist destination, a meeting place of cultural heritage and contemporary art of Hue, of Vietnam and many other cultures.

Hue Festival 2014 contributes to affirming the right direction of the Party Committee, government and people of Thua Thien-Hue province with the determination to build Hue into a typical Festival city, contributing to promoting the cultural and historical traditions and the special position of the ancient capital of Hue in the flow of Vietnamese culture, successfully implementing Conclusion No. 48 of the Politburo, making Thua Thien-Hue a centrally-run city.

The opening ceremony was followed by an art program with singing and dancing performances "My homeland Vietnam", "The song of the Lac bird", "Vu Phien - Hue royal court dance", Bac Ninh folk songs with "Love festival", Southern amateur music with "Vo Co variation", dance "Nam Phuong mother's rite", "Purple dress and Hue love", "Southern mountains and rivers" and ended with a performance "Hue ancient capital - Convergence and shine".

Foreign art troupes such as Bati Holic (Japan), Henan Art Troupe (China), Deepblue Art Troupe (Australia), Raduga of the Russian Federation, GuGak Theater Art Troupe of Korea... have rich and attractive programs participating in the opening ceremony./.

According to Vietnam+