Opening the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc made it clear that the event is to popularise Vietnam and its culture and people to the world.

He highlighted the invaluable contributions the cultural heritages of Hue city have made to socio-economic development, as a feature attraction drawing millions from around the world to the region annually.

The Deputy PM stressed the need to preserve and uphold the traditional values of the nation, especially in the current process of international integration.

Coming next were performances of Vietnamese folk songs and a wide variety of repertoire by art troupes from China, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Russia, which made impression on festival goers.

The nine-day festival themed “Cultural heritage with integration and development” will feature a forum for East Asia – Latin America cooperation, a conference of ASEAN+3 cultural ministers, international dance and culinary festivals, trade and tourism fairs, among others.

Playing a part in the festival are 66 art troupes from 37 countries and territories across the globe, giving the audience hundreds of shows representing different cultures of Vietnam and their home nations.

As part of the Hue festival, the opening of “Rural market on festival days” took place at Thanh Toan tile-roofed bridge, Huong Thuy township on April 13, helping visitors at home and abroad learn about how to grind or sieve flour to make cakes, or sew palm-leaf conical hat.

The bridge has become a tourist attraction since a rural tourism development model was launched by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2012.

Visitors will have a chance to experience local lives by tasting delicious cuisines, go fishing or growing rice.

With the Thanh Toan tourist map recently published in both Vietnamese and English languages, they are able to find other worth-visiting venues and festivities all year round.