THỪA THIÊN-HUẾ — The biennial cultural event Huế Festival opened yesterday evening, offering stages for performance of international and local artist in different art sustaining the hope of a regular event in the future.

This year’s showcase, the Huế Festival 2018, includes 786 performers representing 20 countries and territories including Việt Nam. Audiences will be able to enjoy 72 stage shows as well as take part in 37 community activities held by local residents.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyễn Văn Cao, chairman of Thừa Thiên Huế Province People’s Committee said this year’s event was the succession of previous nine Huế Festival versions starting in 2000. “This creates a positive continuant to the process of building Huế to be a typical festival city according to a guideline by the government,” he said.

Huế Festival seeks to offer audience new programmes to avoid the boringness as it has been organised in 18 years on. The former Imperial Palace built by the Nguyễn Dynasty (1802-1945) continues to serve as the main stage for performances by art troupes from countries and territories including South Korea, Denmark, Morocco, Spain, Japan, and Thailand.

The festival will make full use of traditional cultural spaces in the city as well as community rural ambiance.

Audiences thus get chance to take in the atmosphere of folklore games and street and community activities outside the ticketed stages.

It is aimed to celebrate 712 years since the founding of Thuận Hoá-Phú Xuân, which is Huế today. The festival is themed ‘Cultural Heritage with Integration and Development: Huế - One Destination, Five World Heritages’.

The five heritage statuses were awarded to the Complex of Huế Monuments, Huế royal court music, woodblocks, the imperial archives of the Nguyễn Dynasty and royal literature on Huế royal architecture.

Earlier on Thursday evening and Friday morning, gastronomy fair, a festival for chầu văn singing, and a ritual ceremony were open for audiences. — VNS