Building a destination brand for culture and art enthusiasts in Hanoi: Thang Long Imperial Citadel
WVR - During the three days from 10 to 12 October, Thang Long Imperial Citadel will become a “common house” of world cultures where music, colours, flavours, and emotions blend harmoniously in an atmosphere of friendship and solidarity.
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The first-ever World Culture Festival in Hanoi is jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Hanoi People’s Committee, taking place at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel Heritage Site.
Ahead of this significant cultural diplomacy event, Nguyen Phuong Hoa, Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), shared her thoughts with The World and Vietnam Report.
For the first time, being held in Hanoi, how is the World Culture Festival designed to stand out from previous international events while reflecting Vietnam’s identity and fostering cultural exchange?
Vietnam has hosted various international festivals such as the International Dance Festival and the International Music Festival, but this is the first time we have organised a World Culture Festival - a comprehensive celebration that honours the diversity of world cultures through multiple forms of expression.
To celebrate cultural diversity and strengthen people-to-people exchange, cultures from five continents will gather in Hanoi to present the essence and uniqueness of their national heritage through a wide array of vibrant and interactive activities, highlighting the spirit of friendship and connection.
A highlight of the Opening Ceremony will be a 3D mapping performance projected right in the central courtyard of Thang Long Imperial Citadel - symbolising the convergence of five continents in the light of creativity and solidarity. The moving visuals in three dimensions convey the message: Culture is the bridge of humanity, and creativity is the common language of the world.
In the unique cultural setting of Thang Long Imperial Citadel - located in Hanoi, a UNESCO Creative City and a City for Peace, the programme is designed with strong interactive elements, offering audiences opportunities to directly experience and enjoy various art forms: artistic performances, fashion shows, fine arts and photography exhibitions, film screenings, an international food festival, book showcases, and international folk song and dance performances.
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| Ms. Nguyen Phuong Hoa, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. (Photo: Courtesy by author) |
One of the festival’s highlights is the fashion show “Heritage Footsteps” taking place on the evening of 11 October. Could you tell us more about this programme?
“Heritage Footsteps” is more than just an artistic fashion show - it is a journey honouring heritage and identity, where every costume tells the story of a nation’s culture, history, and spirit. The meticulously staged performance gathers nearly 100 traditional outfits from participating countries, promising to be one of the most diverse and grand international costume showcases ever held in Vietnam.
Here, the audience will witness the dazzling diversity of the world through the language of colours, fabrics, and traditional motifs.
How has coordination with international partners and foreign organisations been carried out for this event?
The festival marks a record in the number of participating diplomatic missions, reflecting Hanoi’s strong appeal as a cultural hub where civilisations meet and share universal human values.
We are truly delighted by the enthusiastic response from foreign embassies and ministries of culture. So far, 48 countries and UNESCO have registered to take part in cultural spaces and artistic performances.
It can be said that this is the largest international festival ever held in Vietnam, both in terms of scale and diversity of participating nations. Notably, it features representatives from all continents - Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East and Oceania.
The event includes 45 national cultural spaces, 34 culinary booths, 23 art troupes from Vietnam and abroad, 12 publishing units and 22 countries joining the film screening programme.
The organisers hope that Hanoi will become a global cultural rendezvous through this event, don’t they?
Indeed, we hope to make the festival an annual event, building a cultural brand for Hanoi - a destination for art and culture lovers worldwide. Each autumn, the most beautiful season of the year, international friends would mark their calendars to visit Vietnam for this celebration.
Over the three days from 10–12 October, Thang Long Imperial Citadel will become a “shared home of the world”, where music, colours, flavours and emotions blend harmoniously in an atmosphere of friendship and solidarity.
Visitors and residents will not only enjoy performances of music and dance but also experience national costumes, taste and even make signature dishes from different world cuisines, and join in folk songs and dances - all within the extraordinary setting of Thang Long Imperial Citadel.
The festival will bring heritage to life in the contemporary context, turning Hanoi into a true meeting place of global civilisations. It will serve as a convergence of excellence, a celebration of identity, and a connection linking five continents in the heart of Vietnam’s thousand-year-old capital - fostering international friendship, mutual understanding and trust between Vietnam and the global community.
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Alongside plans to make this an annual international event, could you share the Ministry’s broader strategy to promote Vietnamese culture abroad and introduce world culture to Vietnam?
One of the consistent and forward-looking policies of our Party and State in this new era is to advance comprehensive international integration, including proactive cultural integration. This aims to promote Vietnamese cultural values abroad while selectively absorbing the world’s cultural essence.
The World Culture Festival is a key initiative - a breakthrough in cultural diplomacy that enhances cultural enjoyment for the Vietnamese public, provides a creative playground for artists, and inspires new works born from global exchange and cooperation, enriching the nation’s cultural landscape.
In addition to hosting international cultural and artistic events in Vietnam, the Ministry - together with other ministries, agencies, and overseas missions - will continue to coordinate with local authorities and associations to enhance Vietnam’s cultural presence at prestigious global platforms such as the World EXPO 2026, the Venice Biennale - the world’s leading fine arts exhibition, and major film festivals including Cannes, Berlin, and the Oscars.
At the same time, we will organise Vietnam Culture Weeks and Vietnam Culture Days abroad with higher quality and greater frequency, ensuring stronger integration between culture, art, tourism promotion and national branding.
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| The Thang Long Imperial Citadel will become the "common house" of the world. (Photo: M.H) |
| Planned Schedule for the World Culture Festival in Hanoi: Opening Ceremony takes place from 20:00 – 21:30 on October 10 at the central stage of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, featuring many famous Vietnamese artists such as Tung Duong, Hoa Minzy... along with international artists, offering emotionally rich performances that harmoniously combine tradition and modernity. Closing Ceremony occurs at 20:00 – 21:30 on October 12 at the same venue, with the participation of Truc Nhan, Hoang Thuy Linh... and many international artists, promising emotionally charged performances. Both ceremonies combine artistic performances and 3D Mapping shows, symbolizing the gathering of five continents in creative light and the spirit of unity. Everything moves in a three-dimensional space with the message that culture is the bridge of humanity, and creativity is the common language of the world. Fashion Show – "Heritage Footsteps": Taking place on the evening of October 11 (20:00 – 21:20) at the central stage, the "Heritage Footsteps" program is a unique highlight of the festival, featuring nearly 100 traditional costumes from participating countries, promising to be the most diverse and grand international ethnic costume show ever held in Vietnam. Exhibition Activities and Multinational Cultural Spaces: On the "Cultural Road", visitors can visit booths from nearly 50 countries such as China, South Korea, Japan, the United States, Russia, France, Iran, Angola, Laos, the Philippines... The booths operate from 9:00 – 21:30 on October 11–12, introducing distinctive features of history, art, language, costumes, and customs of the countries. Visitors also have the opportunity to experience wearing traditional costumes of Vietnam and other countries, immersing themselves in the international exchange atmosphere. International Film Screening Activities: Within the festival framework, the international film screening program will showcase outstanding films from Vietnam and the world at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel Hall, from 9:00 – 21:00 on October 11–12, serving cinema lovers in a historical cultural space. Traditional Art Performances and International Shows: On October 11-12, at the round stage, performances will take place during the time slots of 9:00 – 11:30, 14:30 – 17:30, and 21:00 – 21:30, featuring Vietnamese and international artists. Vietnamese art performances include Central Highlands Gong, Quan Ho Bac Ninh, Cheo, Chau Van, Folk Dance, etc. International performances come from: Japan, Russia, Cambodia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran, Cuba, Romania, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Palestine, Venezuela, UAE, Philippines… Culinary Experience at the Food Street: The Food Street is open from 9:00 – 21:30 on October 11–12, where visitors can explore multinational cuisine and participate in culinary workshops to learn about signature dishes from various cultures. |
