Promoting the development of local tourism through the promotion of architectural heritage is one of the priorities of the Thua Thien Hue provincial government. In this spirit, the French Embassy in Vietnam and the French Institute in Vietnam (IFV) have proposed implementing a unique art project called the Festival of Lights within the framework of the Hue Festival 2024.
This event follows the Hue by Light - The Live Show project, featuring 12 spectacular sound and light installations. At the festival, visitors will feel as if they are stepping into a magical, poetic journey of discovery within the Hue Imperial Citadel, and admiring and experiencing the fantastical, interactive digital art space at Thai Binh Lau and the surrounding area.
A magical journey through the heart of the Imperial Citadel.
The French Embassy has been a partner with the Hue Festival organizers for the past 24 years. According to the French Ambassador to Vietnam, Olivier Brochet, the Light Festival project was conceived in late 2022, at a time when the French Embassy was implementing the Hue by Light - The Live Show project, which was the concluding event of the series of activities celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations between France and Vietnam.
"With the Festival of Lights, we combine various innovative technologies and techniques to offer a journey that is both academically outstanding and interactive, while always focusing on aesthetics," the French Ambassador emphasized.
According to Ambassador Olivier Brochet, all the installations were created to provide an immersive experience in a fantastical universe throughout the viewer's journey of sound and light. From traditional Hue lanterns illuminated in unison to a series of stunning bonsai trees displaying artificial roots that appear to be ablaze, anchored to the ground as night falls, and on the lake, a giant lotus flower shining with myriad colors… This journey through the heart of the Imperial Citadel is like an invitation to visitors to a world of dreams and imagination.
“Both Vietnam and France are interested in the topic of preserving and promoting cultural heritage. France has a great deal of experience in preserving cultural heritage, so we would be delighted to share our experience in this field with Vietnam, to contribute to the preservation of cultural values and the development of tourism,” said Ambassador Olivier Brochet.
The upcoming Festival of Lights aims to enhance the skills of local teams through the exchange of experience, skills, and expertise from France, which has been recognized and highly regarded worldwide.
A monumental and elaborate installation.
The Standing Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, emphasized that the Light Festival, taking place within the framework of the Hue Festival 2024, is the result of cooperation between French and Vietnamese teams to create a unique event, suitable for the chosen location.
Accordingly, the French team will be responsible for the artistic direction of the event, while the content and technical solutions will be developed in collaboration with Vietnamese partners, based on the principle of participation and sharing of expertise.
The festival is also the culmination of over a year of creativity, technical solution research, and production by the AC3 Studio team, aiming to provide visitors with a fascinating stroll through the grounds of the Hue Imperial Citadel and Thai Binh Pavilion.
To execute all these installations, the creative team had to build a centralized, custom-designed control system comprising 9 data servers, 22 e-cards, several kilometers of cable, and over 4,500 light sources that energize the buildings, gardens, trees, rockeries, and even the lake area.
The technologies used are diversified depending on the specific installation, to best serve the visitor experience: smart grid systems via solar panels, traditional stage lighting systems, video mapping systems, controllable LED lighting systems (Artnet), infrared sensors, fiber optics, or even controlled smoke machines. The technology is used to enhance the viewer's experience and is designed to be undetectable to visitors.
The head of the Hue Festival organizing committee announced that the Light Festival will open at 7 PM on June 8th at the Hue Imperial Citadel. The program will continue from 6 PM to 10 PM daily, from June 8th to 22nd.
The Hue Festival 2024 will be held in four seasons with a series of festivals spanning throughout the year:
The Spring Festival - "Spring in the Ancient Capital" (taking place from January to March) is highlighted by activities such as the traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) celebrations, the traditional Tet cultural space, and rich and unique folk festivals, attracting a large number of visitors.
The Summer Festival - “The Shining Imperial City” (taking place from April to June), with the highlight being the Hue International Arts Festival Week 2024, contributes to introducing and promoting Hue, aiming to build it into a truly distinctive festival city of Vietnam.
The Autumn Festival - “Hue in Autumn” (taking place from July to September) focuses on the Mid-Autumn Festival program with the Hue Lantern Festival 2024, combining street lion and dragon dance performances, exhibitions, lantern processions, and experiences of traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, showcasing the beauty of Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival culture.
The Winter Festival - “Hue Winter” (taking place from October to December) highlights the Hue Music Week 2024 and concludes with a Countdown program to bid farewell to the Hue Festival 2024 and welcome the new year 2025.
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