Representatives of organising board of the Huế Festival 2024 and Vietnam Airlines sign a sponsorship contract on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo Tường Vi

THỪA THIÊN - HUẾ — The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines signed a sponsorship contract worth VNĐ1.2 billion (nearly US$48,600) with the organising board of the Huế Festival 2024 at a ceremony in Huế City of the central province of Thừa Thiên - Huế on Thursday.

Under the contract, Vietnam Airlines will continue to serve as an official carrier for the Huế Festival 2024. This marks the 9th consecutive year Vietnam Airlines has been participating as a companion to the annual festival.

The airline will also contribute to promoting Huế as Việt Nam's distinctive festival city through articles introducing Huế's culture and tourism, and popularising the Huế Festival 2024 on the Vietnam Heritage Magazine distributed on flights and published in the electronic version.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Nguyễn Thanh Bình emphasised that the success of the Huế Festival has always been greatly contributed to by sponsors, including Vietnam Airlines. He expressed his hope that Vietnam Airlines will continue to accompany the Huế Festival and strengthen cooperation with the local authorities to promote cultural and tourism development in the province.

The Huế Festival, held for 24 years, is one of the key international art events in Việt Nam.

Themed “Cultural heritage with international integration and development”, the Festival Huế 2024 will feature an array of outstanding festivals, including Spring Festival from January to March, Summer Festival from April to June, Autumn Festival from July to September, and Winter Festival from October to December, and hundreds of response activities.

The locality debuted the Huế Festival 2024 by performing the Ban Sóc (royal calendar delivery) ceremony on January 1 – the event that kings under the Nguyễn Dynasty organised to distribute calendars for royal mandarins at Ngọ Môn (Noon Gate). Ordinary people received the calendar in their localities.

The organising board has recently unveiled an official poster for the event, which draws inspiration primarily from the restored royal patterns on the Kiến Trung Palace in the Imperial Citadel, Huế City.

Huế, the imperial capital of Việt Nam for over 100 years, has been a unique destination in central Việt Nam with its five UNESCO heritage: the ancient citadel relic complex, Huế royal court music, Nguyễn Dynasty’s wooden blocks, Nguyễn Dynasty’s royal administrative documents, and literature on Huế royal architecture.

The Huế Festival 2024 is of special significance in the context of Thừa Thiên - Huế province's efforts to realise the goal of becoming a centrally-run city based on the conservation and promotion of the values of the imperial heritage and cultural identity of Huế. — VNS