Festival Hue wraps up, attracts more than one million visitors

Festival Hue 2006

Several music programs took place Sunday evening to mark the closing ceremony of Festival Hue 2006, which attracted more than one million participants, including 150,000 foreign visitors during its nine days.

The ceremony began with the appearance of a pair of dragons and phoenix, symbolizing the royal power and beauty, in a dance performance on the open stage by the poetic Huong (Perfume) River in the former imperial city of Hue.

Following were music programs, and performances of ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) performance by 100 schoolgirls, nha nhac (Hue court music), and royal dances.

Tens of thousands of audience also had a chance to enjoy a lighting festival with unique demonstrations of artistic fireworks by French artist Pierre Alain Hubert and Vietnamese colorful lanterns.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Ngo Hoa, vice chairman of Thua Thien-Hue province People’s Committee, said more than one million of people participated in the nine-day festival, including 150,000 foreigners from 52 countries and territories.

Hoa, head of the festival Organizing Board, also informed the next festival was due to kick off June 3, 2008.

Records

At the closing ceremony the festival organizers also announced six records set at Festival Hue 2006 were added into the Vietnam’s Guinness Records Book.

They include the Hue Citadel recognized as an intact royal citadel in Vietnam, and Hue court music (nha nhac) as the first intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam that received UNESCO’s recognition of the Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

The others include Ky Dai­ – the largest old flagpole in Vietnam, Festival Hue – the first international festival in Vietnam, and Thien Mu Pagoda bell tower – the tallest and oldest octagonal tower in Vietnam.

The calligraphy work featuring Luc Van Tien, a 19th-century Vietnamese epic poem written by Nguyen Dinh Chieu (1822-1888) was recognized as the longest calligraphy work on fabric in Vietnam.

In addition, the festival also featured many other record-setting art works like the 200-meter-long painting, The Gioi Nay La Cua Chung Em (the world is ours) by children of Hue, and the Luong Long Von Hoa Sen (two dragons play with lotus) installation work by an Australian couple.

The highlights also included a giant non la (conical hat), measuring 12 meters in diameter and 4.5 meters long and weighing nearly 200 kilograms, made by Chien Thang Co. in Ho Chi Minh City.

Art combination, culture exchange

Attending Festival Hue 2006, the fourth since the biennial event started in 2000, were hundreds of artists from 44 art troupes from Argentina, China, France, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russia, UK, and Vietnam.

The art troupes performed more than 130 shows during the nine days of the festival in Hue and neighboring areas.

Ngo Hoa, head of the Festival Organizing Board stressed the festival featured successful cooperation of many foreign and local art troupes.

For instance, the play Vong Cat (sand circle) was the result of the cooperation program, between the French theatre Monte Charge de Pau and the Vietnam Tuong (classical opera) Theatre.

Another example was the play Tim Gio (seeking wind) featuring a combination of jazz music and traditional Vietnamese music with performances of the French band Mazcal Jazz Unit, Vietnamese saxophonist Tran Manh Tuan, and many other Vietnamese musicians.

Audiences also enjoyed the plays Ky Uc (Memory), and Han Han va Con Mua (Drought and Rain) – Part II by famous Vietnamese French choreographer Ea Sola Thuy performed by artists of the Vietnam Ballet and Opera Theater.

Source: Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre, Sai Gon Giai Phong