Huế to develop city art spaces

THUA THIEN-HUE — Authorities in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue have plans to reserve public spaces around the municipal city of Hue for community art shows.

The local Department of Culture and Sports is working to free up spaces in the city around the streets of Pham Ngu Lao, Chu Van An and Vo Thi Sau.

The 3/2 Park, the square in front of the Quoc Hoc High School as well as the Hue Museum of Culture, and cultural centres around the province and the city will each have one space reserved for the shows.

The brand new foot bridge, which is due to open later this month, will host several places designated for community shows.

The selected places are those receiving frequent visits by both locals and tourists to the city. Authorities plan to facilitate rotating shows of different clubs according to a schedule at the most busy sites among the proposed places.

According to the department, offering spaces for community shows is an attempt to entertain visitors in the former imperial capital city as well as to grant respect to the artists.

The department will attract the involvement of the private sector in order to develop the spaces.

Vo Que, head of a club of Ca Hue offering a free show once a week in the Museum of Culture, told Viet Nam News that his club would be part of the department’s plan. The club has put on its shows since 2013 and been praised for its quality of music.

Ca Hue is a variation of Hue royal court music and is considered a type of chamber music that originated from performances in the royal and mandarin houses during the imperial era. The lyrics are sometimes similar to Hue folk songs.

The art form is said to bear similarities to traditional Vietnamese music such as don ca tai tu (Southern folk music) and ca tru (ceremonial singing performed in the north). The music is played on traditional Vietnamese musical instruments, whilr the musicians and vocalists all wear the national long dress, ao dai. — VNS