UNESCO General Director Irina Bokova (L) handed over a certificate recognising Hanoi's Thang Long Citadel as a World Cultural Heritage Site to Chairman of Hanoi People's Commitee Nguyen The Thao on October 1. (Photo:SGGP)
Top Vietnamese leaders and many distinguished international guests attended the opening ceremony on the side of Hoan Kiem Lake in the capital’s centre.
National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong lit the torch as a symbolic curtain-raising for the celebration.
Speaking at the ceremony, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Pham Quang Nghi expressed Vietnam people’ and overseas Vietnamese’s gratitude towards their forefathers who made great sacrifices to protect and build a beautiful and culturally rich Hanoi.
UNESCO General Director Irina Bokova handed over a certificate recognising Hanoi's Thang Long Citadel as a World Cultural Heritage Site to Hanoi's leaders.
Ms Bokova said she is honoured to be wearing the Vietnamese traditional dress, the ao dai, to attend the millennium anniversary.
After the opening ceremony, many festival activities were immediately started in many areas and stages around Hoan Kiem Lake.
In the first day of the anniversary, thousands of people flocked to Hoan Kiem Lake to find it transformed into a bustling party of artistic activities, complete with a fireworks display, decorative lights, a magnificent ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) performance, music and a truly festive atmosphere.
On the first night of Hanoi's 10 day celebration of its 1,000 year anniversary, 100 models perform in the Ao Dai Festival by Hoan Kiem Lake in the city centre. (Photo:SGGP)
Five stages representing five gates of the ancient Thang Long citadel greeted guests that flocked to the festival to enjoy two hours of traditional and modern performances.
Different themes were featured covering the citadel in feudal times, French occupation, revolutionary wars and modern day Ha Noi. Thousands of artists from troupes across the country joined in the performances.
A light show lasting 60 minutes kicked off celebrations with laser effects combined with fire crackers and 3D images projected on big screens.
Dinh Tien Hoang was transformed into a street from the bygone era with Hanoian calligraphers writing on red paper, tricycles and street vendors carrying flower baskets.
An ao dai performance followed the light show featuring 1,000 designs by leading designers including Ngan An and Duc Hung.
The whole show, which was broadcast live on Viet Nam Television's VTV1, VTV4 and VTV5 and HCM City Television's HTV1 and HTV9 and covered by CNN, CNBC, BBC, KBS and Bloomberg, concluded with a fire-works show.
Between October 1 and 10, as many as 245 shows by domestic troupes and 38 by international artists will take place throughout the capital.
Models in ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dresses) during a fashion show on the The Huc Bridge at Hoan Kiem Lake last night. The event was part of festivities to celebrate 1,000 years since Ha Noi's foundation.
