VietNamNet Bridge – Ten troupes are attending a lion dance competition held in Hue.

A lion dance performance during the competition in Hue. — VNS Photo Le Huy Hoang Hai

They included seven troupes from the host city and three others from Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Da Nang. The troupes competed in the Mai Hoa Thung style on Wednesday evening and will compete in the Địa Bửu style this evening. Their performances on Wednesday night were watched by thousands of attendees.

Địa Bửu consists of lion dancers performing on the ground while Mai Hoa Thung requires the troupe to perform in the air by jumping on a row of short poles.

Judges award a score from 1 to 100 on timing, gestures, technique and safety. The competition organisers, the local Department of Tourism, hired the chief judge from Malaysia and other judges from HCM City, where lion dances are popular among the Chinese community.

The Bach Ngoc Duong troupe from the host city won the Mai Hoa Thung top prize on Wednesday evening with a score of 84.6 points.

Le Huu Minh, the department’s standing director, said the event is to entertain locals during the Mid-Autumn Festival and it will be held annually in the future.

Such events are part of the department’s programme to organise festive days throughout the year, as Hue has been assigned as the country’s ‘festival city’. In July, the department successfully held the lotus festival, which was an event to honour lotus flowers as well as products made from lotus.

Source: VNS