Why Don’t We Experience Hue Festival 2011 April to May?

Hue Festivals with Vietnamese Cuisine, Water Play, Nhanhac Music and Traditional Crafts from April to May 2011
A conference on tourism promotion for the central province of Thua Thien-Hue has been held in Ha Noi to introduce tourism services and cultural programmers to the province this year. Let's Experience Hue will introduce tourists to Hue festivals, crafts villages and royal life.
The Hue Traditional Crafts Festival, to be celebrated from April 29 to May 3, will be the key event for tourists this year and will build on the achievements of previous festivals. It will specialize in the arts of bonsai and gastronomy with the theme of Vietnamese gastronomy in the tranquility of Hue's gardens.
Local food and bonsai will be showcased at the Hue Handicrafts Festival in April as the former royal capital central city strives to consolidate its status as Viet Nam's cultural and festival city.
Traditional art troupes from around the country will perform various cultural and community programmers at the Vietnamese Cuisine in Hue Style. The emphasis at the festival will be on open-air culinary and theatre activities, including dance and drama shows, and art exhibitions.
The opening ceremony will be held at the Ngo Mon Square and Dai Noi citadel, while the culinary and cultural shows will go on from morning to late night along the Huong River.
Dozens of culinary experts will be invited to whip up traditional dishes from Hue, Ha Noi, and the southern region.
There will also be exclusive performances of nha nhac music using the two-chord fiddle, three-chord zither, and bamboo flute, ca tru (ceremonial music) and quan ho (Bac Ninh love duet). The genre was recognized as a world intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2004.
"Thua Thien-Hue is an attractive destination for tourists as tourism is the key industry of the province," said Phan Tien Dung, director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
"Last year, Hue received 1.5 million visitors, 700,000 of which were foreigners."
The Hue Festival 2011 will take place from June 29-May 3, drawing over 40 art troupes from 35 countries.
It said hotels and guesthouses in Hue are ready to welcome visitors and have promised to keep tariffs unchanged during the event.
For promoting this event, the department of Vietnam Heritage Travel Company will organize Vietnam tours to discover the treasures of Hue and help tourists understand the legacy of the Nguyen dynasty by experiencing the culture and visiting pagodas.
Vietnam Tours take visitors on various routes through the provinces and allow them to discover the heritage of the city. For those who want to relax, there will be walking tours that take visitors to forests, to rest by Lang Co Beach and to discover ancient houses.
Provided by Vietnam Heritage Travel Company