Night tour of Thang Long Imperial Citadel to return in late April
The night tour of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi will return during the coming National Reunification Day and May Day holidays after a year-long hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts.
Visitors enjoy a dance on the glass covering the archaeological excavation area at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel as part of the tour last year. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The night tour of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi willreturn during the coming National Reunification Day and May Day holidays aftera year-long hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts.
The return will be marked with a special musical programme on April 29 eveningwhen famous piano brothers Luu Hong Quang and Luu Duc Anh, together with otherartists, will perform songs celebrating the joy of the national reunificationday (April 30, 1975).
Thetour, named “Decoding the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long”, was launched inApril 2021 by the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre and the Hanoitouristtravel company. It was available every weekend and received high evaluationfrom tourists.
NguyenThi Yen, head of the conservation centre’s tour guidance division, said thetour is reactivated as part of efforts to recover Hanoi’s tourism. In the timeahead, the centre and Hanoitourist will add new services and experiences so asto make this tour more attractive to visitors.
Travellers will begin their 1.5-hour tour at Doan Mon (MainGate), the entrance to Cam thanh (Forbidden area) - the king’s residence, andlearn about the site’s history, architecture, and functions there.
They will later enjoy an old dance right on theglass covering the archaeological excavation area and gain an insight into thisdig, which contains vestiges of the Ly, Tran, and Le dynasties, via tourguides’ introduction. They will also visit an exhibition hall of rareantiquities with some dating back over 1,000 years.
At Kinh Thien Palace, travellers can offer incenseto King Ly Thai To, who moved the country’s capital from Hoa Lu in Ninh Binhprovince to Dai La which he renamed Thang Long in 1010, as well as other kingscontributing to the capital’s development.
The last destination of this trip is thearchaeological site at No. 18 Hoang Dieu street, where visitors will experiencea laser light show of outstanding antiquities of the Thang Long ImperialCitadel. Tourists can take part in a game in which they have to identifytypical objects of feudal dynasties in the past./.
Vietnam reopened to international tourists on March 15, and since then the sector has witnessed a large number of visitors arriving in localities nationwide thanks to a wide range of promotions.
Vietnam’s tourism sector is hoping to speed up its post-pandemic recovery as SEA Games 31 is being held just as the country reopens its doors to international visitors. Southeast Asia’s largest sporting event is expected to be catalyst for Hanoi and the other 11 localities hosting events to attract local and foreign visitors.
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Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
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Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
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Visitors enjoy a dance on the glass covering the archaeological excavation area at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel as part of the tour last year. (Photo: VNA) 
