The Ban Soc Ceremony marks the opening of the Hue Festival 2024

Ban Soc is an ancient calendar distribution ceremony of the Nguyen Dynasty, traditionally held at the end of the lunar year.

The Ban Soc Ceremony of the Nguyen Dynasty is staged in a theatrical manner, aiming to showcase cultural values intertwined with heritage, creating a festive and meaningful atmosphere for the New Year. The program commences with the announcement of the Hue Festival 2024. Mr. Hoang Viet Trung, Director of the Center for Conservation of Hue Ancient Capital, stated, "Hue Festival 2024, themed 'Cultural Heritage with Integration and Development,' will feature continuous activities throughout the year. It begins with a staged reenactment of the Ban Soc Ceremony of the Nguyen Dynasty on January 1, 2024, and concludes with the Countdown Program on December 31, 2024, with a highlight being the Week of the Hue Festival 2024 from June 7-12, 2024."

Tap to learn more about Hue travel guide.

Ban Soc is the traditional calendar distribution ceremony of the Nguyen Dynasty, held annually at the end of the lunar year. After the Royal Institute of Astrology completes the calendar, the court organizes the Ban Soc Ceremony. The Royal Institute of Astrology, established during the reign of King Gia Long, is responsible for observing the heavens, studying astronomy, forecasting weather, making calendars, and announcing the time to determine seasonal farming for the people.

Hue Festival 2024, with the theme "Cultural Heritage with Integration and Development," will organize continuous activities throughout the year, including remarkable festivals such as the Spring Festival "Ancient Capital Spring" (from January to March), the Summer Festival "Imperial City Shines" (April to June), the Autumn Festival "Hue in Autumn" (July to September), and the Winter Festival "Winter in Hue" (October to December), along with hundreds of other participating activities.

Check for the Vietnam travel guide.

In ancient Vietnam, where agriculture played a pivotal role in the economy, calendars held special significance in people's lives. Calendars were presented to the Royal Court for their use and distributed to officials in the Imperial City, and localities, and further distributed for public use.

According to Dr. Phan Thanh Hai, Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Thua Thien Hue Province, the compilation and printing of calendars were not a simple task in the past. During the Le Dynasty, the task was assigned to the Royal Institute of Astrology for research from the beginning of the year. It underwent multiple reviews and cross-checks before being presented to the king for approval by the end of December, followed by printing. During the Nguyen Dynasty, the task of compiling calendars was assigned to the Royal Institute of Astrology to research and compile dates after Tet. It underwent thorough scrutiny by both the Ritual and Internal Councils before being presented to the king for approval. Printing typically took place around May or June, and the quantity was based on the needs of the court and reports from localities.

Plan your trip to Vietnam & Asia here.

As the Largest Aviation-Tourism corporation in the country, Vietravel consistently provides high-standard services at the most competitive prices so that you can discover the beauty of not only Vietnam but all of Southeast Asia.

Please contact us for more information

Vietravel – Asia’s Leading Tour Operator

Hotline: (84) 35 235 61 61

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.vietravelasia.com

#VietravelAsia #Vietravel #Vietnam #travel #Hue