In the days leading up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, the children in my neighborhood have been joyfully practicing. Calling it a “unicorn dance troupe” sounds grand, but in fact, it’s just about a dozen kids from grades 1 to 7. One contributes an old drum, another brings a unicorn head or a Mr. Earth mask, while some dig through closets for their mothers’ Ao dai, … all gathered together to form an eager, lively team of little unicorn dancers.

In response to the series of activities within the framework of the Autumn Festival themed “Hue in Autumn” of the National Tourism Year and Hue Festival 2025, the Department of Tourism, in coordination with Hue Monuments Conservation Center and the People’s Committee of Phu Xuan Ward, is preparing a variety of exciting programs for locals and visitors. Among them, the most anticipated highlight is the Unicorn-Lion-Dragon Dance Festival, Hue Unicorn dance performances, and the Mid-Autumn Lantern Parade through the streets in 2025.

The sound of gongs echoing through the mountains, the graceful spins of Pa Co and Ta Oi (ethnic groups) dances, once thought to belong only to the memory of old festivals, are now alive again in A Luoi 2. Here, a Co Tu girl named A Rel Thuy Linh, along with local youth, continue to nurture their passion, bringing the heritage of their homeland to life with vibrant performances that immerse audiences in the atmosphere of a true festival.

The Central Coast Nature Museum has launched the art photography contest “Dance of the Lagoon Birds”. Entries will be accepted from August 18th to October 31st, 2025, from all Vietnamese citizens, capturing vivid and unique moments of bird species living or migrating in lagoons and coastal areas.

With the theme “Thien Vu” (the dance of the Sky), the solo exhibition of the painter Doan Quynh Nhu seems to lead viewers into her own world, where the artist “whispers” with nature.

The Dance Artists’ Association is the youngest among the professional associations under the Union of Literature and Arts Associations of Hue City. However, in recent years, it has grown into a collective of outstanding individuals, producing high-quality and contemporary dance performances that meet the diverse tastes of Hue’s public.

At the beginning of July, David Greilsammer - a renowned French pianist, delivered a captivating performance at Hue Academy of Music under the theme “Fairies, Dreams, and Dances”. This marked his second visit to the Ancient Capital.

On the evening of June 1, Hue City’s Youth Activity Center organized the opening ceremony for its summer activities and the final round of the 2025 International Folk Dance and Modern Dance Festival.

In the festive atmosphere of the “Colors of Spring in the Highlands” celebration in A Luoi, amidst the “tung tung da da” dances and echoing gong sounds, I was fortunate to witness a special ritual of the Co Tu people - the An Ninh Pa Nua festival. This is one of their ancient traditional ceremonies, expressing the sacred feelings of the bride’s family toward the groom’s family after many years of being in-laws.

The opening of the Co Do (Ancient Capital) Modern Dance and Folk-Dance Cup took place on November 24th, 2024, at the gymnasium of Hue University’s Faculty of Physical Education. The event attracted 300 athletes from 25 dance and folk-dance clubs across the province.

Along with age-appropriate choreography and fun music, the children will be guided in detail from warming-up and feeling the music to adjusting the movements of each dance.