Hue festival 2010 (Source: VNA)

Hue Festival, the annual international event being held for seventh time in the northern central coastal province of Thua Thien-Hue, will be the highlight of Vietnam's National Tourism Year 2012.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and People’s Committee of Thua Thien-Hue province on Nov. 23 held a press conference in Hanoi to announce the National Tourism Year 2012 programme and the schedule for Hue Festival.

Hue Festival will be held from April 7 to 15, 2012, and be the first major event of the tourism year.

The festival will include key events including the Imperial Night, Oriental Night, Nam Giao ritual offering, a grand show of traditional dress, installation art displays, a children's festival, the Hue Poetry Festival, and food days.

Foreign artists from dozens of countries will perform during the festival.

National Tourism Year will be also held in Quang Tri, Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to attract foreign visitors and develop local tourism./.