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.

A unique cultural space has just been introduced at Duyet Thi Duong Theater (Hue Imperial Citadel), drawing the attention of the public and tourists: the Exhibition Space for Hue Royal Classical Drama Masks.

On the afternoon of January 17, at Duyet Thi Duong Theater - Hue Imperial City, Hue Monuments Conservation Center held the opening ceremony of Hue tuong mask exhibition space. This program was implemented with the sponsorship of Vingroup Innovation Fund (VinIF).

Hue Monuments Conservation Center recently had a working session with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Thi Ha Duong, managing director of the Vingroup Innovation Foundation – VinIF, to discuss the implementation process of the project “Restoring, training and teaching Hue tuong mask painting art - a traditional art form at high risk of being lost”. The project is built by Hue Monuments Conservation Center and sponsored by the VinIF.

Inside the Hue Royal Palace heritage site, at Duyet Thi Duong Theater (the theater for the king, royal family members, and mandarins to enjoy traditional royal operas) stands a space exhibiting hundreds of tuồng (traditional Vietnamese opera) masks, which get tourists to stop to explore.

Originality is among the crucial elements which makes Tuong Hue (Hue traditional opera) valuable.