Tickets for the opening ceremony held at Ngo Mon Gate on April 12 cost VND300,000 (USD14) and the closing ceremony at Gia Hoi Park on April 20 at VND200,000. The Ao dai (traditional long dress) pageant on the nights of April 14 and 17 will be charged at VND300,000, while the art shows at Dai Noi (Hue Imperial Citadel) and An Dinh Palace have a same price of VND100,000.
Meanwhile, visitors will have to pay VND2 million to join the Dem Hoang Cung (Royal Night) with a banquet.
The Royal banquet at Hue Festival 2012
According to Ngo Hoa, Deputy chairman of Thua Thien-Hue City's People's Committee and head of the festival's organisation board, the number of dishes for this year's banquet may be less than last year but they will be the best dishes and most authentic royal banquets of the Nguyen Dynasty along with royal performances.
Street performances
Meanwhile, the International Food Festival will also be held from April 15-19 at Phu Xuan Park. Phan Tien Dung, head of the local Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said over 100 booths will be set up, offering dishes from various countries such as Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and China.
There will also be many free shows performed by domestic and international artists from 35 countries. The authorities of Hue City hope to attract 200,000 tourists to the festival which was created based on the theme “Cultural Heritage with Integration and Development”.
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