This will be the group’s fifth appearance at Vietnam’s largest international cultural festival so far.

Head of the group Roger Daelemans expressed his delight to perform at the event, which, he said, will create an opportunity for the Belgian artists to promote cultural exchanges, make friends and discover the beauty of Hue city.

Besides stilt performances, the Merchtem team will have several field trips to teach young Vietnamese people how to walk on stilts through flood water, he added.

Over nearly eight decades, the group, with 150 members, has introduced the art of stilt walking, which was listed as an intangible cultural heritage of the Flanders region, to the world.

The Hue Festival 2024, entitled "Cultural Heritage amid Integration and Development", will feature a wide range of activities which include performances of international and local art troupes, a food festival and shows of the world famous heritage of Hue royal court music and songs.

Along with Merchtem, other art troupes are heading to the festival, including contemporary artists, hip-hop dancers from Cergy (France), Flamenco Hispano (Spain), the Eisa Urakaji troupe (Japan), the Zhejiang theatre company (China), pianist Steve Barakatt (Canada), and two art groups from the Republic of Korea.