Festival Hue 2002 : getting ready
With less than five months before the ancient city of Hue has to finish
preparations for its festival in 2002, the city is gaining wide public support
Making kites is now the most important task for Nguyen Van
Be, an artisan in Hue. It's not
because he is the chairman of
the Hue Kite Club. Be and his
team are responsible for an
impressive performance during
Hue Festival 2002: flying big,
colorful kites.
"We're making over 60 new kites; each costs between VND1.2-1.5
million," says Be. "Some of the kites will represent the countries that
participate in Festival Hue. We want to impress international visitors when
they recognize something associated with their countries on the kites."
The kite club and its members are among thousands of residents of Hue,
the ancient capital in Central Vietnam, who are actively preparing for the
most important event for Hue in 2002.
"The big difference between Festival Hue 2002 and the same event two
years ago is, in our opinion, the energetic participation of the local
population," says Le Viet Xe, Thua Thien - Hue Province vice chairman
and head of the organization board of Festival Hue 2002. Although the
festival in 2000 was a strong boost to tourism in Hue and Central Vietnam,
it received a lukewarm response from many local residents.
Xe says this time the local government has launched campaigns to
attract the attention of Hue citizens. "Opinions and comments on the
facilities of the festival are welcomed," he explains. "Hue residents have
shown signs of participation in providing tourism services such as
accommodations, souvenirs and transport means."
Agreeing with Xe, Vo Phi Hung, director of Hue Service of Tourism, says
the organizers have worked out a comprehensive tourism program which
calls for public participation in providing the best accommodations and
services for visitors to the festival.
"The local government's initial preparations have made us happy," says
guyen Dung, an artisan of the Hue Flower Garden Club. Several prime
locations in Hue will be assigned to the club so that its members can
display their best creations. "We will create a colorful corner of Hue and
introduce it to guests from near and far," say Dung. "We're gathering rare
collections of ornamental trees to prove the worthiness of the art in Hue."
Nguyen Xuan Ky, a tour guide, says he and his colleagues have formed
a network of houses owned by ordinary residents, which will be turned
into guesthouses for visitors. Ton Nu Khanh Nam, owner of Lac Tinh Vien,
a famous garden in Hue, says she has a plan to give a facelift to her
garden before the festival begins. At Dong Ba, Hue's most famous
market, shopkeepers have responded favorably to a call for wearing ao
dai, the traditional Vietnamese dress. Ao dai will be a reminder of the
Hue of old. "The idea is warmly welcomed," says an official of Dong Ba
Market. "These ao dai will make the Dong Ba market more beautiful and
fascinating to visitors."
Based on plans supplemented by local residents' opinions, organizers
have worked out the festival programs. In addition to the center of
Festival Hue 2000-the Imperial Enclosure-which was a success, a
second center will be formed at An Dinh Palace. This will be a stage for
folk arts and theatrical performances of ancient and modern Hue, added
with cultural activities from other localities of the country. "With this, Hue
people will have their own theater, and I believe it'll be very impressive,"
claims Nguyen Xuan Hoa, director of the Thua Thien - Hue Province
Service of Culture and Information.
A third center, which combines social, economic and trading activities of
Hue with the festival, will be located in the Gia Hoi area and its vicinity
along the banks of the Perfume River. Here, there will be reminiscences
of the pre-1945 Hue where food streets and night activities are organized.
Hue residents will be the main participants in these activities, says Le
Viet Xe.
Active public participation in the preparations for Festival Hue 2002 will
play a crucial role in the success of the festival. "We have notified this
phenomenon to our international friends who are in Hue to help prepare
the programs for the festival," says Nguyen Xuan Hoa. He adds that
French artistic troupes and organizers, the most important partners of the
festival, have selected accommodations which are local residents'
houses. It is likely that troupes from other countries such as China and
Japan will have a similar choice.
"This shows that once Hue residents, the hosts of Festival Hue, are in a
welcome mood, visitors will response," says Le Viet Xe. "We believe the
festival will be successful."
Festival Hue 2002
The festival will last for 12 days, between May 4-15. It is started and
ended by two theatrical performance programs and traditional lanterns
festivals on the Perfume (Huong) River.
Festival Hue will be attended by performing art troupes from 10
countries, including France, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia,
Philippines, China, South Korea, Japan and Vietnam. The host country,
together with French partners, is the main organizer. Twenty professional
troupes will perform over 30 types of shows.
The festival includes two programs: The IN encompasses cultural and
performing programs of Vietnam and other countries; the OFF includes
cultural and performing programs, and popular festivals, of Hue and other
localities in Vietnam.
The festival has three centers. Hue Imperial Enclosure will feature the IN
programs. An Dinh Palace in An Cuu, and Gia Hoi-Perfume River host the
OFF programs. The festival extends to Hue suburbs such as Kim Long,
Thuy Bieu, Phu Vang and Phu Loc.
Festival Hue will highlight cultural and performing arts and Hue traditions
in cuisine, business, lifestyle, tourism and heritage. Artistic performances,
traditional festivals, food streets, and handicraft/trade/tourism fairs will be
organized across the ancient city.
A Hue-based international sculpture competition will be held with the
theme "Hue - Vietnam Impressions," hosting some 50 sculptors around
the world. The competition is scheduled to start on April 4 and end when
the festival comes to a close.
Tickets for artistic performances at the Imperial Enclosure are
VND300,000 (for Vietnamese) and US$35 (for foreigners) with a gala
dinner; or VND70,000 and US$20, respectively, without a gala dinner. A
package ticket for three nights (with one gala) is VND400,000 (for
Vietnamese, and US$65 (for foreigners).
For more information, please contact: the Economic-Tourism
Sub-committee of Festival Hue 2002, Festival Hue Office, 8 Ly Thuong
Kiet Street, Hue City. Tel and Fax: (054) 822591 or 091 3495728 (Mr.
Nguyen Van Khiet, head of the sub-committee).
By Nguyen Duc - The Saigon Times Weekly - December 30, 2001.
|