(VOVworld) - The Hue Festival and the national tourism National Tourism Year – Northern Central Coastal Area 2012 kicked off on Saturday night in the Ngo Mon Square of the former imperial city of Hue. The opening ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Lao Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad, former Party and State leaders, representatives from 25 countries and territories, and thousands of local people and visitors.

Addressing the ceremony, PM Dung emphasized that Hue Festival is not only aimed at promoting the image of Hue city and the north-central coastal region, but also offers a good chance to consolidate the friendship between Vietnam and international friends. He said this is a good opportunity for people from around the globe to gather and demonstrate their unique cultural identities, offering good chances to foster ties and join hands in building a peaceful and prosperous world on the basis of multi-colour culture. The PM asked Thua Thien Hue to fully tap its potential and international assistance to successfully organize the National Tourism Year and the Hue festival: “Efforts should be made to strengthen cooperation between areas in the north central region, and uphold competitive edge of each locality to create inter-regional products of high quality. Tourism of Northern Central Coastal Area should focus on unique natural landscape, tradition, history and culture”.  

During the eight-day cultural event, there will be various activities such as the Nam Giao Offering Ritual, the Imperial Night, the “A Peaceful World” spectacle of royal dances and music combined with lantern installations, a dialogue of drums and percussion instruments themed “Resounding the Spirit of Vietnam”, and “Oriental Night” shows featuring traditional costumes of Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Mongolia, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

A rural market festival opens on Sunday in Thuy Thanh commune as part of the Hue festival. Tourists are able to join traditional games such as Bai choi, singing while playing cards, playing chess, lifting nets, fishing and walking on a bamboo bridge. Tran Duy Khanh, a member of the organizing board, said: “This year we mobilize all local resources available to host the rural market festival. Everybody in the township is encouraged to take in the festival. Thanh Thuy commune are trying to build its tourism trademark”.

Meanwhile, an International Trade Fair has attracted more than 500 stalls of domestic and foreign companies. On show are cosmetics, pharmacy, mechanical, and electrical products. The biennial event aims to promote economic cooperation, investment and product trademarks.