The Nam Giao ritual at Hue Festival 2018 (Photo: VOV)

The opening ceremony highlighted the traditional culture in combination with contemporary arts introducing Hue City and Vietnam, its land, and people.

The Nam Giao ritual ceremony, one of the main activities during the festival, was held early on Friday. It prays for favorable weather, peace for the nation, and wealth for the people.

Huynh Tien Dat, Deputy Director of the Hue Festival Center, said: “The festival gathers the programs characterized by the arts and culture of Vietnam and 19 other countries around the world. 24 international and 15 domestic arts troupes will perform at the event. Many artists are world renowned. They represent their country's traditional culture and the contemporary arts.”

More than 300,000 visitors are expected to visit Hue during the 6 days of the festival.

Helen Elena, a British visitor, said: “I’m very excited. The city and river are fully decorated with followers and lights. Yesterday I joined a show in the festival. I like it very much.”

Hue has prepared more than 11,000 rooms and 100 homestays in the city to serve tourists. A tourist smartphone app has been developed to help visitors easily book rooms and check for information.