The people lining up in a long procession solemnly bringing the Holy Mother through the central streets of Hue city created a colorful, but dignified and reverent sight. On both sides of the road, tourists and Hue people stood watching attentively, because it has been a long time since such an event has been held.
Dance performance "Offering pomelo to the Emperor" in the program "Hue timbre". Photo: Dang Tuyen
Bustling again
On an early April day, the Hue Nam Temple Festival procession by road was re-created as a highlight to signal the recovery of festivals after a long period of inactivity due to the pandemic.
"It's been a long time since the streets of Hue have been so vibrant!" many people exclaimed when the procession with colorful, traditional costumes passed by. The procession was carried on for more than 1 km. Wherever the procession passed, everyone excitedly watched. Many people expressed excitement, using their phones to record a moment that they had not seen for a long time.
“It is more than two years that there happens a spiritual festival on the street like that; so, everyone has arranged to go and watch it. It is true that when there is a festival, the atmosphere in Hue is much different. It’s busier and more bustling,” Ms. Nguyen Thu Huong (a resident of Gia Hoi ward, Hue city) excitedly shared.
Like Ms. Huong, thousands of people stood on both sides of the road, stretching from the middle of Chi Lang Street to Nghinh Luong Dinh with a length of more than 3km, to be immersed in the festive atmosphere.
Previously, many festivals and events had to be postponed or canceled, in which the important festival that made the brand name of the ancient capital was Hue Festival 2020. Therefore, the return of this year's festival season, especially the series of programs held all year round, which created Hue Festival 2022, is being looked forward to not only by tourists but also by the local people - the festival subjects.
More than that, it is the festival that plays an important role in stimulating customers’ demand, attracting domestic and foreign tourists to come back to Hue to travel and experience.
After the Hue Nam Temple Festival, during the days in mid-April, the Hung Kings Commemoration Day and the VnExpress Imperial Marathon Hue 2022 coincided. Although it is a running race, it can be considered as a festival with the participation of more than 4,700 athletes and their families who came to Hue to participate. It more or less made Hue tourism more exciting.
Many people pouring onto the streets to watch Hue Nam Temple Festival procession
“Delicious food” to serve visitors
The highlight of Hue Festival 2022 is mainly in the summer with the theme "Cultural Heritage with Integration and Development". This is not only a favorable time to organize unique festivals, but also the peak season for tourism. Therefore, through the festivals one can boost tourism demand, among which, it is necessary to mention the street festivals, Trinh Cong Son music night, Ao dai festival, the national unicorn-lion-dragon dance festival, Capital of Gastronomy festival...
Talking about organizing festivals to stimulate tourism, Mr. Huynh Tien Dat, Director of Hue Festival Center, said that this change is aimed at creating diversity, as well as creating a highlight to stimulate tourism demand.
Instead of encapsulating festivals in one week like previous festivals, Hue Festival 2022 will be spread out according to each theme with each specific season. Besides the familiar festivals held in the spring, summer and autumn, the new feature is the winter festival including the Hue Golden Voice of Bolero, the International Circus Festival, Hue Singing Festival; Wellness Festival – Hue Healthcare Tourism Week, Music Festival – Winter Melodies…
According to Mr. Dat, with a series of events, the winter festival will refresh Hue, creating a novelty and uniqueness that attracts domestic and foreign tourists to Hue.
Many units and businesses doing tourism right from this time have also planned with festival organizers to promote to tourists near and far. In addition to tourism and resort needs, the festival will create "appealing specialities" to help visitors have more interesting experiences.
Mr. Phan Thanh Hai, Director of the Department of Culture and Sports, said that the return of the Hue festival will be very impressive. He hoped it will mark the success of the 2022 Hue Festival, which will be held for the first time in the direction of four seasons. In addition to the special programs, to create a unique mark of the festival in the ancient capital is a well-organized and credible process.
"In order to accomplish this, in addition to determination, it also requires experience and organizational ability," Mr. Hai affirmed. It is believed that the series of events and festivals in the Hue Festival 2022 organized in four seasons will become a destination, a new brand name for Hue.
Story and photos: Nhat Minh