Twenty-five festivals and other programmes will be carried out over the next year under the theme “Hue - The City of Festivals, Heritage and Tourism” to promote tourism in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue and remotely celebrate the great 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi.

The festivals’ programmes are expected to mobilise all resources to improve the quality and growth of tourism and to make tourism a key economic sector in the province.

Tourism will help Thua Thien - Hue Province become one of the cultural and tourism centres of the country, and Hue City will become the biggest festival city in Vietnam, according to the vice director of Thua Thien - Hue Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Le Huu Minh.

The festivals will run the gamut between the traditional and the modern.

A ceremony announcing Thua Thien - Hue Province Tourism 2010 early next year in Hue City, the province’s centre, will start off other activities. It will introduce and popularise the city’s characteristics. Unique artistic performances, carnivals, a road show and a Hue traditional cuisine festival will build the image of the city as a must-see destination in Vietnam.

The old festivals, featuring traditional culture and religion, will be held in the whole of the province, such as Thu Le Village’s Wrestling Festival in Quang Dien District, the Cau Ngu (Fish Worshipping) Festival in Phu Loc District, the Sinh Village’s Wrestling Festival in Phu Vang District and a festival commemorating King Quang Trung (1753-92) in Hue City, as well as Buddha’s birthday.

This year, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will reappear and bring classic reference, royal activities and historical events to festivals, such as a demonstration of naval forces under the Nguyen Dynasty along the Huong (Perfume) River, a kermis in the countryside, an imperial nighttime musical performance, a traditional wedding, a rite for the heaven and earth and festivals in the Royal Palace.

The Hue Festival 2010, which will take place June 5 - 13, with a theme of Cultural Heritage - International Integration and Development, will highlight the tourism activities of Thua Thien - Hue Province. This year, the festival will be joined by troupes from five continents. Forty troupes from 25 nations have already registered to join in the activities, and among them, the French troupe is still the main partner, just as in previous Hue festivals, according to Huynh Tien Dat, vice director of the Hue Festival Centre.

"This year, the festival’s scale will be enlarged to remote areas in the city, not only in the centre as was the case in the past," he said.

"Many more countries will join the festival, bringing their most unique performances in various artistic genres."

The Deputy Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), Nguyen Manh Cuong, greatly appreciated efforts of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and local tourist agents in promoting tourism for the province.

He also promised that the VNAT would give professional support to bring success to the programmes.