A festival of ancient Hanoian dances was held on February 1 to mark the Lunar New Year holiday and included a performance of a dance feared lost for more than half a century.

The event attracted more than 300 artists of all ages, from youngsters to octogenarians, from all areas of the capital city.

Seven of the nine performances at the event were being unveiled for the first time, and some could be traced back almost 2,000 years to the historic uprising led by national heroines Trung Trac and Trung Nhi.

One of the festival's undoubted highlights was a performance of "the fairy dance", handed down by 85 year old Hoang Ky to the Dong Au Lo Khe club. This dance has not been performed in public for over 60 years, making this performance all the more poignant as it can now be passed on to future generations, ensuring the preservation of this cultural treasure.

The event organisers acknowledged the contributions of Buddhist monks and followers from the Dong Lim Pagoda in Long Bien precinct and Dao Xuyen Pagoda in Gia Lam District, who performed two ritual dances that, until now, could only be seen during religious ceremonies.

The capital city is eagerly preparing for its millennial anniversary in 2010 and the breathing of new life into its fading folklore is a key part of its celebration programme.