Cultural imprints, heritage
Ms. Le Thi Anh Mai - Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism - said that in the 10 days of the Thang Long - Hanoi Festival 2026, there were about 16 main events held in many cultural and heritage spaces of the Capital - from Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, Hanoi Museum, Bat Trang pottery village to the area around Hoan Kiem Lake. The diversity of locations and types has created conditions for many heritage resources of Hanoi to be introduced through very different approaches.
Special programs at Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam can be mentioned that have attached relics to a journey with the direct participation of the public. Or the program "One drum - One sound of drum - Thousand years of civilization" opens up a different approach: Drums from Doi Tam, Binh An or the Central Highlands are introduced with a team of artisans and the practice community, in connection with the knowledge and cultural life that created it.
Another highlight is Bat Trang pottery village with the participation of local artisans, the knowledge accumulated during the craft process is also incorporated into artistic creation, thereby opening up another way for the public to explore pottery besides production activities, sightseeing and experience.
Then, another source of material was exploited in the Hanoi Colors fashion program - The Color of Hanoi on the evening of September 19th at Ba Kieu Temple flower garden: Designers seek inspiration from scenery, memories and aesthetic feelings about the city to develop collections. Among them, the Hanoi Handigraphy collection alone has combined urban sketches with bamboo and rattan weaving art to bring Hanoi images and traditional handicraft techniques into contemporary design...
Notably, the material that makes up those programs is not a new resource that appears with the Festival, but has been accumulated in Hanoi's history and cultural life. To become experiences or programs that attract viewers, it is a story from how professionals recognize potential, develop ideas and choose ways to express themselves. Especially, in the current trend, this process is increasingly going beyond the scope of a separate specialty to require the participation of many different interdisciplinary creative capacity.
Thang Long - Hanoi Festival opens up the possibility of forming a new festival built from the depth of culture and heritage with the participation of a large number of artists, actors and artisans participating.
Continuing the unique cultural values of the Capital
Immediately after the success of the Thang Long - Hanoi Festival, Hanoi City immediately started preparing for the World Cultural Festival in Hanoi for the second time with the theme "Heritage Gathering - Creating the Future". This is an event organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in coordination with the Hanoi People's Committee.
At the first Festival held in early October 2025, 48 countries and international organizations participated, with many unique cultural spaces and events, from the "Cultural Path" exhibition to international costume performances with the theme "Heritage Footsteps"/Ao Dai Festival; cultural and artistic introduction programs; film screenings; Book Fair; culinary art introduction activities of countries; 30 international art performance programs have attracted more than 1 million visitors to visit and experience every day.
Therefore, this year, the Organizing Committee expects the 2nd Festival to create a prominent foreign cultural highlight in 2026, attracting the attention of the public and domestic and international media. The festival contributes to making Hanoi - UNESCO's creative city - a meeting point for world cultural colors, where traditional values are honored, new creations are spread, and the bridges of friendship between Vietnam and international friends are increasingly strengthened.
According to Nguyen Phuong Hoa, Director of the International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, this festival gathers the participation of 50 countries, international organizations and businesses. This is an opportunity for cultures to meet, exchange and share unique values, and at the same time promote the image of Vietnam, Hanoi Capital and the cultural and heritage values of the country to international friends.
In addition, this year's Festival continues to promote the spirit of exchange, connection and joint creativity through culture. The activities are designed to create a colorful cultural space, where countries introduce their identity, heritage and unique cultural values, while opening up new cooperation opportunities in the fields of culture, art, tourism and creative industry.
The organizers also informed that, with an expanded scale and more diverse content than the first Festival, the World Cultural Festival in Hanoi for the second time has 45 cultural spaces, 35 culinary booths, film screenings with 18 countries registering to participate, fashion spaces with 19 countries sending traditional costumes, and the participation of 20 international art troupes.
