In his closing speech, Vice Chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue provincial People’s Committee Ngo Hoa, who headed up the festival’s organising board, affirmed that the festival came to a good end and was considered safe, friendly and full of humanity.

The festival, the eighth of its kind, was an exemplary cultural and arts event imbued with the cultural identities of Viet Nam and Hue during the nation's active and enthusiastic global integration, Hoa said, adding that the event was an ideal opportunity to promote solidarity among nations worldwide via cultural exchanges and artistic performances.

The closing ceremony, which was held at Gia Hoi Park, featured impressive music and dance performance by artists from across the country, as well as unique artistic performances by guest artists from Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. The musical performance 'Song Huong Dem Gia Ban' (Huong River on the Farewell Night) and a dazzling firework display at the end of the closing ceremony acted as a sweet goodbye to the 2014 Hue Festival for domestic tourists and international friends.

The biennial festival, which took place from April 12-20, attracted the participation of approximately 2.4 million people, entertaining them with a colourful and bustling atmosphere that resulted from the nearly 100 performances put on by 66 artist delegations from 38 countries.

About 230,000 tourists stayed in hotels, representing a 25% increase over the 2012 event. 100,000 of these were foreign tourists from 115 countries and territories around the world.

A wide range of activities were held during the nine-day festival, including the 6th Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers responsible for Culture and Arts (AMCA 6), the International Dance Festival, the 2014 International Food Festival, the Ao Dai Festival and the 'Dem Phuong Dong' (Orient Night) fashion show, among others.