Three typical court ceremonies at Hue Festival 2006

The Hue Festival 2006 will take place in nine successive days, from June 3-11. Different from the previous festivals, this time, three imposing court festivals will be restored and shown at the Hue Festival

Ngu Dao returns to the royal palace

Nam Giao Festival

The festival uses traditional factors from the Giao sacrifice ceremony of Vietnam which used to take place in Hue, highlighting humanity values and expressing aspiration for a peaceful country and happy people and favourable rain and wind. The festival also aims to create an environment to promote and honour Vietnamese court music, show beauty of ritual culture and traditional costumes of the ancient city of Hue.

On June 10, during the Hue Festival 2006, Nam Giao Festival (ceremony in honour of the sky and earth) will be re-shown with three parts: Ngu Dao group sets out from the Royal Palace (constructed by Emperor Gia Long in Hue in 1802) to Nam Giao ceremony platform. Having held a heaven-worshipping ceremony, the group turns back to the palace. The palace-leaving ceremony will be organised at the Southern Gate Square with a traditional rituals. According to the scenario, the King gets on the throne, 10 royal court music pieces are performed. Tien Dao (leading group), Trung Dao (middle group) and Hau Dao (last group) departs to Trai Cung (altar where ceremony is made).

A ceremony at Giao Dan is organised in the following orders: incense offering, pearl and silk offering, sacrifices and celebration words reading.

The ceremony ends and the King returns to Trai Cung. Members of the royal family and high-ranking mandarins hold great rejoicings. The Ngu Dao group returns to the royal palace – such steps as the Ngu Dao group returning to the palace were held at the Hue Festival 2004.

The Nam Giao Festival is a preparatory step for the restoration and completion of Dan Nam Giao historical site and later complete a file in order to be submitted to UNESCO to recognize it as an intangible cultural heritage.

Royal palace night

The royal palace night is due to be held on June 3, 6 and 9 evenings, focusing on exploiting sparkling and illusory beauty of the Hue Royal Palace through activities of mandarins, eunuchs, maidens, elephants and horses. These evenings feature art performances, food and drink, royal games of Vietnam, Vietnam-Japan court music exchange and documentary film shows.

Right at 7pm, four torch pans are flamed at four corners of the royal citadel. Seven hundred lanterns hung on the walls of the Southern Gate are also flamed. Drums are beaten, the Southern Gate is opened, tourists flock to the Royal Palace and each tourist is given a lantern.

They cross the Trung Dao bridge in the middle of two lines of imperial guards into the Dai Trieu yard. Inside the Thai Hoa palace, preparations are made for the Dai Trieu ceremony in the next morning.

As planned, at the three palaces and six institutes: imperial maids amuse themselves in colourful dresses. The Mieu: gents carry out an incense offering ceremony. Dien Tho palace: Vietnamese timbre programme is held. Duyet Thi Duong: Hue songs and Hue classical opera are performed. Thai Binh Lau: poems are written. Two octagonal houses in front of Kien Trung palace: Xam Huong and Dau Ho games are organized (tourists can join these games). Surrounding the royal citadel: guards go on patrol.

Truyen Lo and Vinh Quy Bai To ceremonies (A home coming ceremony to pay thanks to ancestors after a successful academic examination)

Truyen Lo is a royal ceremony organized to proclaim doctor names after a doctoral examinations. New doctors return to their native villages to thank their ancestors after achieving academic honours. The Truyen Lo will be held in an imposing manner this year.

This programme is expected to take place on June 6, from 8am at the Southern Gate area. New doctors make a report on the execution of an order. Mandarins from Ministry of Rites read a royal decree to grant diplomas to new doctors. New doctors celebrate a ceremony to thank King. After the doctor proclamation ceremony, roll of honours is brought from the Southern Gate to Phu Van Lau.

There, the Ministry of Rites list the role of honours. New doctors thank with a bow in front of Hoang an. Then, the procession enters the Royal Palace through Hien Nhon door. At the Duyet Thi Duong hall, new doctors hold a ceremony to receive things given by the king, including green parasols, hats, silk and money.

New doctors hold a ceremony of returning home to pay thanks to ancestors after achieving academic honours in the afternoon. The procession has flags, banners, hammocks, parasols, guards and villagers. The ceremony take place from Hien Nhon door to Duong No communal house where villagers welcome and greet new doctors. New doctors pay tribute to ancestors and thank villagers. Then, a celebration is held by villagers.

(Source: Nhandan)