The authorities of central Thua Thien-Hue province on April 2 night re-enacted a ceremony that used to be a national celebration under the Nguyen dynasty in the former royal capital city of Hue.
The ritual ceremony was conducted at Xa Tac (Nation) Platform located 2km west from the Imperial Palace .
A formal procession of the King and mandarins travelled from the palace to the platform for the rituals, with elephants, horses and people dressed in the feudal style of the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945).
Around 550 actors and 100 locals took part in the procession, with bands playing royal court music.
Locals and tourists had a chance to view the procession on several roads near the palace. People also lit incense at the platform after the main ceremony, which took place from 8-10pm.
After founding the dynasty in 1802, the early Nguyen Kings built the Xa Tac Platform using soil brought to Hue from different parts of the country, making the platform represent the whole country.
The ceremonies have been re-enacted several times since 2008 at the biannual Hue festival with a local actor performing the role of a king.
The ceremony used to be presided over by a king, but now the country is a democracy, the role is given to a commoner.-VNA
