Cultural cooperation for mutual creation.
On the evening of October 4th, at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel historical site, the closing ceremony of the second World Cultural Festival in Hanoi - 2026 concluded four days of vibrant cultural exchange and interaction, leaving many lasting impressions on the people of Hanoi, domestic and international tourists.
With the theme " Convergence of Heritage - Shaping the Future ," the festival brings together 50 countries, with 45 cultural spaces, 19 international art troupes, 35 food stalls, and a program showcasing films from nearly 20 film industries.
Over the four days of the event, Thang Long Imperial Citadel became a vibrant meeting place – where heritage, performing arts, cinema, fashion , cuisine, tourism, and creative forms all converged, interacted, and connected.
In her closing remarks, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh affirmed that the presence of 50 countries and international organizations, hundreds of artists and artisans, and a large audience in Hanoi created a broad, diverse, and vibrant space for cultural exchange.
These new connections are being formed, giving us the belief that culture will bring people, nations, and peoples closer together.
For Vietnam, culture is both the spiritual foundation of society and a goal, driving force, and resource for national development.
Minister Lam Thi Phuong Thanh emphasized that heritage preservation is not just about retaining what belongs to the past, but about ensuring that heritage continues to live in contemporary life, continues to be innovated, continues to create new values, and is passed on to future generations.
The minister affirmed that the past four days have shown that when heritage, performing arts, cinema, fashion, cuisine, tourism , and new creative forms coexist in one space, it helps to create new products, new values, and generate appeal for everyone.
This is a very specific way to view the role of cultural industries in transforming creative capacity, identity, and cultural assets into endogenous strength, competitiveness, and national soft power.
"We hope that Hanoi will not only be a venue for festivals, but will increasingly become a regular meeting point for cultures, where initiatives on heritage, creativity, cultural industries, and sustainable development are connected and spread positive values," Minister Lam Thi Phuong Thanh expressed.
Minister Lam Thi Phuong Thanh emphasized the message of respecting differences to better understand each other, sharing values to strengthen bonds, and cultural cooperation to jointly build a civilized, peaceful, cooperative, and developed world.
The 2026 festival is even more significant as it coincides with Vietnam's 50th anniversary of joining UNESCO, marking half a century of Vietnam's journey from a country emerging from war to an active, responsible member, increasingly proactively contributing initiatives to common issues of UNESCO and the international community.
Sounds and dances from many cultures
The highlight of the closing ceremony was an artistic program consisting of two parts , "Colors Meet" and "Greetings from Vietnam ," featuring international art troupes and many Vietnamese artists.
In the segment "Colors Meet ," sounds and dances from Iran, the Russian Federation, Mexico, Myanmar, and Belgium, along with the youthful energy of Vietnamese artists, create a vibrant and diverse stage.
Following this is "Greetings from Vietnam ," which takes the audience on an artistic journey from its roots, through heritage regions, to contemporary Vietnam.
Traditional musical and artistic elements from various regions are showcased in a new performance space, presenting to international friends an image of a Vietnam rich in identity, dynamic, creative, open, and connected to the world.
At the closing ceremony, the organizing committee also presented commemorative plaques from the festival organizing committee to the international delegations.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/ha-noi-phai-thanh-diem-gap-go-cua-cac-nen-van-hoa-the-gioi-post1882224.tpo
