Hot air balloons to liven up Huế festival

HÀ NỘI — A hot air balloon festival will entertain locals and tourists at the Festival Huế 2022 between June 25 and 30.

Titled “Balloon Festival – Huế Former Citadel From the Sky”, the event, which is jointly organised by Thừa Thiên-Huế Tourism Department and Hexa Media, aims to create a fresh and unique tourism product to make Huế a premier festival city in the country.

The fourth of its kind, the hot air balloon festival will take place at Hàm Nghi Yard on August 23 Road inside the Huế Citadel, where 20 balloons will be on show.

Half of the smaller balloons will be stationary at one site while 10 larger ones will soar along the Hương River or to the east towards lagoons and Thuận An Sea.

Hot air balloons will liven up Huế Festival 2022. — VNS Photo Lê Huy Hoàng Hải

Tickets to see the stationary balloons will be VNĐ170,000 (US$7.3) per person, while a flight will cost VNĐ5 million per person including insurance.

The balloons will be controlled by professionals with international certificates, according to the organisers.

“This is the fourth time such a balloon festival has been organised in Huế but the first time we have co-operated with Hexa Media Company,” said Nguyễn Văn Phúc, director of the department. “We hope with the investment, this year’s balloon festival will bring a fresh experience to visitors.”

“Especially when the pandemic is now controlled, this will be a golden chance for tourists to visit Huế and experience a high-end tourism product that is still rare in Việt Nam – balloon flights,” he said.

Nguyễn Thanh Bình, deputy chairman of Thừa Thiên-Huế Province People’s Committee, also head of the Huế Festival 2022 Organising Board, said the balloon festival is expected to be warmly received by tourists and locals.

“This will be a good chance to advertise Huế Festival 2022 and Thừa Thiên-Huế tourism destinations not only on mass media but also on social networks through beautiful photos and clips from the sky,” he said.

The event is accompanied by an EDM Night of Lights music show on June 26 in An Định Palace gathering famed rappers like Bình Gold, Dương Adward, Châu Dương, Young Uno and popular DJs like Mike Hào and Tilo.

A Media Trip for leading tourism inspirers like KOLs and travel bloggers including Lý Thành Cơ, Lê Hà Trúc, Lỗ Hữu Đức Anh, actor Bình An, stylish Monsimi, Vlogger Hachi Hachi (Ngô Huy Hà), photographer Vũ Bảo Khánh, tiktoker Melon, Dương Vũ and Hukha (Hà Thị Thu Huyền) will last between June 20 and 26 in the city.

“We hope to bring participants a chance to experience traditional and contemporary cultural festivals of the former citadel, to experience tourism products that are popular in the most unique way,” Phúc said.

Various tourism enterprises have joined to host the Media Trip like Silk Path Grand Hue, Alba Wellness Valley by Fusion, Vedana Lagoon Resort & Spa, and Pilgrimage Village – Boutique Resort & Spa.

The Huế Festival will open at 8pm, June 25 at Ngọ Môn Square with an art show, which will be followed by art shows of domestic and foreign troupes at nights on June 26-29; a street festival at 4.30pm on June 26-28; a beer festival at 5.30pm on June 26 by Carlsberg; a music show themed Trịnh Công Sơn composer at 8pm, June 27; a traditional art show at 7am on June 28; a royal music show at 8pm, June 29 and a closing ceremony at 7.30pm, June 30.

Street cuisine festivals; community áo dài (traditional long dress) festival; SUP race; and a Rock Festival are among various additional events during the Huế Festival 2022. — VNS