Ninh Binh Festival 2024 - Heritage Flow: A Journey of Fascinating and Unique Experiences

During the two times of organization, through cultural and artistic activities with many innovations and creativity, Ninh Binh Festival has brought to the audience a different perspective and approach to the traditional cultural heritage of the nation. The activities are organized in an open way, increasing interaction with the community so that people and tourists can directly watch and participate in the activities of the Festival.

The success of the two Festivals continues to be an important premise and foundation for the province to aim to build “Ninh Binh Festival” into a major cultural event, a brand of national and international scale; a place to connect, converge, honor and spread the typical cultural heritage values of the nation and humanity.

The key activities of the 3rd Ninh Binh Festival in 2024 include 5 unique and impressive activities: Opening of Ninh Binh Festival at 8:00 p.m. on November 24, 2024 at Dinh Tien Hoang De Square, Ninh Binh city; Duc Thuy Son Assembly Hall from November 26 to November 27, 2024 at Nui Thuy Park, Ninh Binh city; Fashion show "Ninh Binh - Ao Dai on the heritage road" at 7:00 p.m. on November 23 at the gate of Thien Ton pagoda and cave relic, Thien Ton town, Hoa Lu district; Street festival on November 29, 2024 at Tam Quan Gate, Trang An street, Ninh Binh city; Closing of Ninh Binh Festival at 8:00 p.m. on November 30, 2024 at Thung Nham eco-tourism area.

Perspective of the space of "Duc Thuy Son Assembly Hall".

A new feature of this year's Festival is the "Duc Thuy Son Assembly Hall" space, which will be launched from November 26 to November 27, 2024 at Nui Thuy Park, Ninh Binh City.

Accordingly, Nui Thuy Park will be transformed into an outdoor contemporary poetry exhibition space combined with the experience of tea drinking, poetry recitation, moon watching and listening to traditional folk music. It is a poetic cultural and artistic space with ancient tea tables, tea makers dressed in ancient costumes, decorated with poetic works carved on Duc Thuy Mountain by installation art, combined with lighting decoration... to introduce to the public and visitors the priceless spiritual "heritage" at Duc Thuy Son - a special national monument in Ninh Binh.

In particular, for the first time, an Electronic Folk Music Festival was held as a final greeting to close the Ninh Binh Festival. It was a contemporary folk music party connecting generations of music lovers called “Í A Fest”.

As the Music Director for the closing program of the “Í A Fest” Festival, musician Tri Minh said that he will bring a completely new and unique artistic space. For the musician, this is not just a performance but a contemporary folk music party, where generations of music lovers are connected through familiar melodies that have been renewed.

Within the framework of the 3rd Ninh Binh Festival in 2024, the Department of Culture and Sports of Ninh Binh province also coordinated with agencies and units to organize other notable response activities, such as: National Music Festival in 2024; hosting the 26th Red River Delta Art Photography Festival in 2024; hosting the ITF U18 - J30 International Tennis Tournament; "Vietnam International Challenge 2024" International Badminton Tournament; Trang An Marathon International Cross-Country Race in 2024; Trade promotion exhibition, introducing products, goods, trade, services, etc.

Comrade Nguyen Manh Cuong, Director of the Department of Culture and Sports, Deputy Head of the Organizing Committee of the 3rd Ninh Binh Festival in 2024 said: This is a cultural and tourism event of great significance, contributing to building and positioning the brand of the millennium heritage city of Ninh Binh province, while promoting the image, culture and people of Ninh Binh province and regions across the country to domestic and international tourists.

The innovation in the way the Festival is organized this time also shows the province's determination to promote the great role of culture in local socio-economic development and contribute to the overall development of the country.

The highlight of the Ninh Binh Festival is the opening event, which will take place at 8:00 p.m. on November 24, 2024 at Dinh Tien Hoang De Square, Ninh Binh City, with the theme “Heritage Flow”. The program is expected to be broadcast live on Vietnam Television (VTV1), Ninh Binh Radio and Television, and social media platforms.

This is the first time the art program “Heritage Flow” has been built in a cinematic style as a vivid “historical costume drama” performed in a theatrical form combining music, dance and cinema with modern and unique performance technology on a 3D mapping moving stage, to decode legendary and historical stories and reveal the layers of sediment hidden deep underground about the brilliant quintessence values of ancient capitals.

The program will recreate historical milestones, important marks in the thousand-year history of building and defending the country of Vietnam; the most glorious and brilliant periods of the dynasties that have contributed to creating the oldest and most prosperous capitals in the history of the nation, leaving behind priceless tangible and intangible heritages for the nation and for humanity.

Director and scriptwriter Le Hai Yen said: "Heritage Flow" is inspired by the historical journey of the Vietnamese people - the journey of establishing, moving and settling the capital of the emperors.

From this idea, the journey will connect the heritage with three highlights, the three ancient capitals: Hoa Lu Capital, Thang Long Capital and Hue Capital - all of which are World Cultural Heritages recognized by UNESCO, the flow of more than a millennium of Vietnamese history. That historical flow has formed unique and valuable cultural, historical and architectural heritages of the nation, lasting over time.

Taking on the role of Music Director of the art program “Golden Days of the Ancient Capital” at the opening ceremony of the Festival, musician Nguyen Manh Tien could not hide his emotion and enthusiasm. He aspires to make traditional melodies more familiar, creating experiences that are both familiar and new for the audience.

With a series of outstanding activities, the 3rd Ninh Binh Festival in 2024 promises to leave the audience and visitors attending the event with unforgettable emotions and impressions, contributing to promoting the image, culture and people of the ancient capital of Hoa Lu Ninh Binh to domestic and international tourists, while realizing the policy and orientation of Ninh Binh province to become a centrally-run city by 2035 with the characteristics of a millennium heritage city, a creative city, a large center of high value in tourism, cultural industry and organizing national, regional and international events.