Hanoi stands ready for the second World Culture Festival: Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong
WVR - From October 1-4, the second World Culture Festival in Hanoi will take place at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, gathering representatives from 50 countries, international organizations, and businesses, along with various cultural, artistic, culinary, cinematic, fashion, and creative industry activities.
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On the afternoon of September 21, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism organized a meeting to provide information about the second World Culture Festival in Hanoi with representatives from diplomatic missions and international organizations in Vietnam.
Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee, and Head of the Organizing Committee of the Festival chaired the meeting. Also in attendance were representatives from units under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Committee of Hanoi, and related agencies.
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| Scene from the meeting. (Photo: Tran Huan) |
Expanding scale, diversifying activities
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong stressed that this year's festival, themed “Converging Heritage – Creating the Future”, is organized to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Vietnam's accession to UNESCO.
According to the Deputy Minister, Hanoi, with its millennial history and status as a UNESCO Creative City, is a suitable venue for hosting an international cultural event, providing an opportunity for countries to showcase their unique identities, heritage, and cultural values, while enhancing mutual exchange and understanding.
Compared to the first edition in 2025, this year's festival is expanded in both scale and content, with participation from 50 countries, international organizations, and businesses. Activities span various fields such as culture, arts, music, cuisine, cinema, fashion, and the creative industry.
Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong emphasised that the participation of countries not only adds cultural diversity to the festival but also facilitates meetings, exchanges, and new cooperation opportunities.
The leader of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also expressed gratitude to the embassies, representative agencies, and international organizations for coordinating with the Organizing Committee during the preparation process, from developing the artistic program, preparing traditional costumes, films, cultural spaces, and cuisine to technical and logistical requirements.
The Organizing Committee hopes that diplomatic representative missions will continue to closely coordinate in the coming time, contributing to ensuring that the festival's activities are implemented smoothly, safely, and effectively.
Over 100 cultural, culinary, and artistic spaces
At the meeting, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, under Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Standing Deputy Head of the Festival's Organizing Committee Nguyen Phuong Hoa stated that the second World Culture Festival in Hanoi will take place over four days, from October 1-4, at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel.
Numerous activities are organized to create a space for countries to showcase their heritage, culture, and arts, while expanding exchanges in the fields of culture, tourism, and the creative industry.
This year's festival features 45 cultural spaces and 35 culinary booths. The film screening program has 18 countries registered to participate; the fashion space has 19 countries sending traditional costumes.
Additionally, 20 international art troupes will participate in performance programs, creating a series of multicultural music activities during the festival days.
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| International friends interacting at the first World Culture Festival in Hanoi. (Photo: Tran Dung) |
A new feature is the area “Spreading Creativity from Heritage – International Games Festival”, connecting historical and cultural values with technology and the creative industry.
Here, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism collaborates with Vietnamese enterprises to introduce, release, and operate several video games inspired by Vietnam's history and culture, thereby allowing the public to access heritage through modern interactive forms.
Cosplay performances, combined with dance from the game Audition and LED screen effects, are also organized, targeting young audiences.
The integration of technology, video games, and contemporary creative forms into the festival is expected to provide new approaches to heritage while expanding the exchange space between traditional culture and new creative products.
The second World Culture Festival in Hanoi is anticipated to become a notable cultural diplomacy event in 2026, contributing to enhancing cultural exchanges between Vietnam and other countries, while promoting Hanoi's role in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
