The Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi Old Quarter Management Board organized the opening ceremony of the "Touching the Old Quarter 2026" cultural activity series at the Hanoi Old Quarter Cultural Exchange Center (50 Dao Duy Tu).
The series of activities takes place on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of the Liberation of the South, national reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2026) and towards the 136th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2026).
With the theme "Touching the Old Quarter Crafts 2026", this year the program takes the lacquer painting profession as the main highlight, aiming to connect heritage - creativity - community, contributing to preserving and promoting the value of traditional handicrafts in contemporary life.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms. Ngo Thi Thuy Duong - Head of Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi Old Quarter Management Board emphasized: "The'Touching the Old Quarter Profession 2026' activity is organized with the mission of honoring the talented hands and creative intelligence of handicraft artisans.
With this year's theme, we especially focus on the spirit of'touching the profession', which is not only physical contact with handicrafts, but also the connection of the soul with the story of the profession, the layers of cultural sediment that have been silently passed down through generations.
Also at the opening ceremony, painter Nguyen Dinh Bang - Former Head of the Fine Arts Department, Hanoi General Vocational Secondary School emphasized that lacquer is not only a simple fine art material but also a precious cultural heritage, imbued with national identity. Through this, he hopes that lacquer will continue to be honored and develop sustainably.
Immediately after the opening ceremony, the public could visit the exhibition "Sơn ta sử tích" at the Hanoi Old Quarter Cultural Exchange Center, introducing the history of formation, production process and unique artistic value of sơn ta - a typical traditional material of Vietnamese fine arts.
The series of activities will take place sôi nổi from now until the end of June 2026 with many exhibition and display activities along with experiential activities, seminars, workshops.
In particular, from April 22 - May 25, 2026, an exhibition with the theme "Lotus Season Remembering Uncle Ho" is organized to introduce paintings about the image of the lotus associated with President Ho Chi Minh, expressing gratitude and feelings of the people.
The "Touching the Old Quarter 2026" series of activities not only practically contributes to celebrating major holidays of the country but also creates a diverse and unique cultural space in the heart of the Capital, helping to ignite love for traditional culture and promote experiential tourism in Hanoi Old Quarter.
