(VOVworld) - The Hue festival continued on Thursday with a performance held in front of the royal citadel. The show underlined the Vietnamese people’s wishes for peace and prosperity. It featured many famous poems, songs and paintings of Hue, in an integrated theatrical format. Many other performances took place the same day with musicians from Russia and Israel as well as several Asian countries featuring traditional music, lanterns and costumes. These activities highlighted the diversity of oriental culture. One of the artists, Charlottee from France, said: “This festival is unique as visitors can enjoy Vietnam’s culture, its dances and music. This is a great opportunity to explore Vietnamese culture and music. It’s much better watching the shows live in Hue rather than watching them in France or on the Internet.”

Earlier, a grand show of Ao Dai (traditional long dress) took place at Hue National University as a key event of the ongoing Hue Festival. Themed “Lotus in painting”, the show attracted thousands of visitors, including foreign ambassadors to Vietnam and international friends.

The event aimed to honor the beauty of Vietnamese women’s traditional costume through the image of lotus, which has inspired many generations of artists, architects, sculptors and painters.

During the show, Ao Dai adorned with lotus patterns provided invaluable spiritual values and the aesthetic eternity of such a beautiful flower, as well as the perception of the traditional dress in the soul of Vietnamese people.

In the early summer breeze from the Huong (Perfume) River, special Ao Dai collections by 20 leading designers were gracefully demonstrated by 150 top models from across the country to the accompaniment of zither, two-stringed violin, monochord and flute.