The Hue Festival 2010 will feature many large-scale, impressive cultural art performances alongside hundreds of special tourism programmes to honour the unique cultural values of Vietnam in general and Hue in particular, expand the international exchange and promote tourism in the country.

Particularly, the “Navy manoeuvre under the Nguyen Dynasties” on the Huong River with the participation of 900 people was re-enacted to review the tradition of founding and defending the country, glorifying the power of Vietnamese people in the war.

Besides the Grand opening and closing ceremonies, a variety of well-staged and interesting performances will also take place, including the Ao dai Grand show, the “Oriental night” programme, the performance of Viet’s beauty of the second edition called “the resonance of Ngan River”, many community activities like Hue Poem Festival, science seminars and the painting exhibition themed “From Thang Long Ancient Capital to Hue Ancient Capital” on Trang Tien Bridge of hundreds of painters and fine arts students should be paid great attention.

The week, scheduled to last until December 5, will include a series of activities such as a photo exhibition on “Hoi An past and present”, a display of artistic pictures by FIAP Duong Phu Tam, a seminar on “Hoi An Cultural Heritage Site – a ten year review”, and “Hoi An’s movie week”.

Hoi An will be spruced up for an ancient gala night, with streets reserved for pedestrians and bicycles sight-seeing tours of Hoi An arranged for foreigners and local pupils.

The coming exhibitions are part of activities to mark the 35th anniversary of Vietnam-German diplomatic ties.

Earlier, in late 2009, the German photographer displayed his photos of the Vietnamese land and people in Ho Chi Minh City, delighting visitors.

“His works are simple but beautiful. He has captured the souls of the Vietnamese people in his portraits,” commented photographer Doan Cong Tinh during his visit to the exhibition. Tinh is famous for the photo entitled “Victorious smile at Quang Tri ancient citadel.”

Apart from the exhibitions in Vietnam, Voigt said he would display his photos-representing Vietnam’s past, present and future potential for development, especially in tourism-in Germany.

According to him, he is going to publish a book about Vietnam and make a documentary film about Vietnamese youth this year.

They are from leading newspapers like Le Monde and L’Express and channels like France Television, TV Matin, and TV Escale.

With the help of Trinh Bach, a researcher of Hue culture, they have been exploring elements of the city’s culture, including popular and royal architecture, and interviewing craftspeople and people who lived when the last feudal dynasty was still ruling in the 1940’s.

Bach himself featured in a show on his work to restore traditional Vietnamese cultural values by the tourism channel TV Escale.

Bach is renowned for reviving lost crafts like palace-style hand embroidery, china-making, and wood and silver carving. He has also successfully restored the elaborate costumes worn by kings and queens of Nguyen Dynasty.

The TV shows on Hue will be broadcast in September.