Show «Nhã nhạc, Múa cung đình và Tuồng cung đình» (court music, dance and drama)

   Thirty-five minutes of court music, royal dance and royal drama, staged in the very theatre where only the king, the royal family, high mandarins and foreign envoys once took their seats. If you are visiting Hue's Imperial City, give half an hour of it to Duyet Thi Duong: it is the quickest way to hear the sound of Nguyen dynasty ceremony in its own setting.

   The show is staged twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon, by the Hue Traditional Royal Art Theatre (Nhà hát Nghệ thuật Truyền thống Cung đình Huế), part of the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre. One short performance brings together all three art forms the theatre exists to preserve:
— Nhã nhạc, Vietnamese court music, proclaimed by UNESCO a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2003
— royal court dance, which the theatre describes as steeped in Eastern philosophy and aesthetics, with dancers moving in horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines
— royal tuồng, the traditional sung drama also known as hát bội, born in the northern realm of Dang Ngoai but, in the theatre's words, finding its «promised land» in the southern realm of Dang Trong

   The venue is part of the story. Duyet Thi Duong was built in 1826 under Emperor Minh Mang (Minh Mạng), on the site of the earlier Thanh Phong Duong theatre, in the southeast corner of the Forbidden Purple City (Tử Cấm Thành). The company calls it the original performance space of Hue's court arts and describes it as the oldest theatre in Vietnam.

   According to UNESCO, Nha Nhac, meaning «elegant music», covers a broad range of musical and dance styles performed at the Vietnamese royal court from the 15th to the mid-20th century; it developed under the Le dynasty and was codified under the Nguyen emperors. UNESCO also notes that among Vietnam's many musical genres, only Nha Nhac can claim a nationwide scope and strong links with the traditions of other East Asian countries.

   It suits travellers who want to understand Hue through its music and ritual rather than its architecture alone, families with children, and anyone with just one morning or afternoon in the Imperial City: at 35 minutes, it fits easily between the palaces.

   The theatre's schedule states a minimum of 10 guests per show, so if you are travelling alone or in a small group, call ahead to ask about the next performance. The theatre stands inside the Imperial City (Đại Nội), which visitors enter with a ticket from the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre (200,000 VND for adults, 40,000 VND for children under 15). Now and then the theatre cancels individual shows and posts a notice on its website in advance; in the rainy season it is worth checking before you go.

   Contacts: mobile 0911 300 999, email [email protected].

   A visit to the Imperial City feels complete once you have heard Nha Nhac inside the theatre built for the Nguyen kings.