Tourists to Hue join in kite-flying activities at Ngo Mon (Noon Gate) Square
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Kite making and kite flying are the hobbies that have existed in Vietnam from time immemorial, but in order to turn the kite flying into an art, a cultural trait of the region, not all localities can do as well as Hue. Hue kite art is highly evaluated because it shows the combination of visual art, painting, product material and passion as well as kite flyers’ experience.
Currently, Hue kite brand is not only famous in the country but also widely known by international friends through exhibitions, festivals or big festivities. The art kites accompanying the artisans came to many countries around the world such as Indonesia, India, France, Thailand or the Vung Tau, Nha Trang Sea Festivals and so on, and won many prestigious awards for Hue.
Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism judged that the life has undergone many changes in the trend of integration. Kite-making craft and kite-related entertainment activities are at risk of fading into oblivion if Hue kites are not preserved and revitalized.
For the first time, "Hue Kite Festival" is independently organized, not associated with Hue Festival or Hue Traditional Craft Festival. According to the Department of Tourism, the festival will become an event regularly held to serve tourists. The festival will also create opportunities for kite-making artisans to exchange and introduce kite products to domestic and foreign tourists.
Young people enjoy kite-flying activity
The festival also contributes to preserving and promoting Hue tradition of kite-making craft and affirms that Hue kite brand has been being preserved and is waiting for opportunities to develop.
The most excited are the kite artisans who have devoted their life to pursuing the kite art. The kite artisan Nguyen Van Hoang, the Anh Vu kite-making facility owner confided, this is an opportunity for artisans and kite art lovers to meet. The honored kite art also enables the artisans like him to pursue kites, and the tourists to Hue to encounter kites flying in the Ancient Capital sky more often.
More products for tourism
According to the kite artisans in Hue, although Hue kite art has been famous, but for long, Hue kites have not been known by many tourists. The tours of kite-making or kite-flying experience in Hue remain modest. Kite flying is in summer, but the tours often bring tourists the kite-making experience in winter (because other tourist products are rare in winter). After making kites, tourists cannot go flying kites, so the significance of the tour is reduced, and the attraction is also affected.
Fish kite simulations on display at Hue Kite Exhibition in the framework of "Hue Kite Festival 2019"
The organization board of Hue Kite Festival 2019 said that from that reality, the most important target of the festival is to create an activity of high community characteristics, contributing to diversifying the products, especially the kite-flying activity in the afternoons at Ngo Mon Square for tourists to join in and early inthe domestic tourist season this year.
Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc said that through the experimental activities in Hue Kite Festival 2019, along with the festivals, activities held last year and the Hiphop Festival, the Unicorn Festivalexpected to be organized this year, we will go on to forming a series of festivals and events throughout the year. This promises to add more products and activities, especially by night to attract tourists to Hue, keeping tourists stay longer.
At this Kite Festival, the Ao Dai (the traditional gown of Vietnamese women) Program is organized. This is also seen as an experiment for organizing a periodical minishow on weekend nights to increase the attraction for Nguyen Dinh Chieu Pedestrian Street and the pedestrian bridge on the Huong (Perfume) River in the coming time.
Story and photos: Duc Quang