The Lotus Festival will take place from June 29 to July 1 at Hue High School in the central city of Hue. 

Desert with lotus seed, one of the popular dishes with lotus. Photo: Afamily.vn

The festival adds to building the image of Hue as the festival capital of Vietnam and promotes local tourism, according to the Thua Thien Hue Provincial Department of Tourism.

The lotus is Vietnam’s national flower and also appears in many aspects of life, particularly in Hue, from costumes to cuisine, music, poetry, artworks and Buddhist architecture.

With the theme “Legend of a Flower”, the Lotus Festival 2018 is divided into four parts.

The main stage, designed as a pond of lotus flowers, will host a show of ao dai (the traditional national dress) with lotus designs from famous fashion designers in the city.

The second part is a cuisine space with booths designed in bamboo and lotus leaves and flowers, where dishes made from lotus will be introduced by local cuisine artists known for their sophisticated cooking techniques.

The third part is a photo exhibition on the lotus, with those exhibited being auctioned at the end of the festival. Some of the proceeds will go to the photographer while the remainder will go to a fund supporting the city’s poor.

The fourth part features a number of traditional crafts that use images of the lotus, such as paintings, embroidery, and conical hats.

According to the Department of Tourism, the Lotus Festival 2018 will diversify activities available for visitors and encourage longer stays. It will also create an opportunity for tourism businesses to introduce their products and services and connect with local and international tourists.

Hue hosted some 3.8 million visitors last year, up 16 per cent against 2016. The Hue Festival 2018, which took place from April 27 to May 2, welcomed 1.2 million visitors.

VN Economic Times