On the evening of October 2nd, the 11th Hanoi Book Fair 2026 officially opened at the Ho Guom Cultural Information Center, 2 Le Thai To Street, Hoan Kiem Ward, Hanoi, creating a cultural reading destination in the heart of the capital city.

With the theme "Books open knowledge, Technology leads the future," the Book Fair, taking place from October 1st to October 4th, is directed by the Hanoi People's Committee and implemented by the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, with the participation of 31 reputable domestic publishing and distribution units.

Delegates perform the opening ceremony of the Hanoi Book Fair 2026. Photo: Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

This event is an annual reading culture activity of the Capital, practically celebrating the 72nd anniversary of the Liberation of Hanoi (October 10, 1954 to October 10, 2026) and the 74th anniversary of the Traditional Day of the Vietnamese Publishing, Printing and Book Distribution Industry (October 10, 1952 to October 10, 2026).

A notable feature of this year's Hanoi Book Fair is the way the space is organized to showcase the cultural values ​​of Thang Long and Hanoi alongside scientific and technological knowledge, innovation, and digital transformation .

Two thematic exhibition spaces, “Thang Long, Hanoi Culture and Heritage” and “Books Open Knowledge, Technology Leading the Future,” showcase hundreds of representative publications. These include publications from the “Thang Long Thousand Years of Culture and Heritage” book series, the “Van Mieu, Quoc Tu Giam Electronic Book Series,” and the “ Science and Technology, Innovation and Transformation Book Series.”

Books about the history, culture, and people of Hanoi are placed in a space where technology is increasingly involved, thereby creating a meeting point between urban memory, cultural heritage, and the digital age's way of receiving knowledge.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms. Vu Thu Ha, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, emphasized that in the era of technology and digital transformation, books and reading culture remain one of the important resources for nurturing knowledge and serving the cultural and human development of Hanoi.

Ms. Vu Thu Ha, Vice Chairwoman of the Hanoi People's Committee, delivered the opening speech at the book fair. Photo: Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

In implementing Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW dated January 7, 2026, of the Politburo on the development of Vietnamese culture, Hanoi has identified the development of the capital's culture as oriented towards "Cultural Heritage, Identity, Creativity, Integration, and Connectivity." The city has also issued a Resolution on the development of the cultural industry, in which publishing and reading culture are among the areas that actively contribute to the development of the capital's cultural industry.

According to Ms. Vu Thu Ha, as the capital city, with its concentration of publishing houses, distribution companies, and publishing partnerships, Hanoi has favorable conditions to improve the spiritual life and meet the reading culture needs of its people.

Over the past period, the city has directed the implementation of many activities and movements to develop a reading culture, honor books, and aim to make books and reading culture increasingly meaningful in social life.

The Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee acknowledged that the Book Fair is a place where readers can find good books, and also a space to inspire learning, connecting the values ​​of the past with current knowledge and future technology, thereby fostering human resources, cultural strength, and a knowledge foundation for sustainable development.

Delegates tour the book fair space. Photo: Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

"The Hanoi Book Fair is a space that inspires the spirit of reading, where cultural values ​​are connected with modern knowledge through future technology, spreading the love of books along with the cultural values ​​of the capital," Ms. Vu Thu Ha emphasized.

From this perspective, the 2026 Book Fair shows that reading culture is being placed in a broader context with the cultural industry, science and technology, and digital transformation. Books remain central, but the ways of bringing books to the public are becoming increasingly diverse, creating more accessibility for new reader groups, especially young people.

Along with exhibition spaces, a series of exchanges, seminars, and introductions of new publications about the history, culture, life, and people of Hanoi, the Book Fair has become a cultural meeting point in the early days of October.

The program included a panel discussion titled "Dreaming of the Light of the Imperial City," combined with the launch of the book "Fingerprints of the Streets" by writer Nguyen Truong Quy; the program "The Flavors of Hanoi's Old Quarter, Sketches and Essays" by the Hanoi Urban Sketching group; an exchange titled "Hanoi, City, Faces, People" featuring works by Thach Lam, Hoang Dao Thuy, Doan Ke Thien, and To Hoai, organized by Kim Dong Publishing House; and the introduction of the publication "The Next Day: Transition, Change and Moving Forward" by author Melinda French Gates, organized by the Women's Publishing House.

Delegates tour the book fair space. Photo: Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The Book Fair space is further enhanced by experiential activities such as calligraphy writing, printing stencils of doctoral steles, "Hand-gluing a globe," and programs for readers at the booths of publishing and distribution units.

From bookshelves about Thang Long's thousand-year-old cultural heritage to electronic publications, from calligraphy and motifs on doctoral steles to topics in science and technology, the 11th Hanoi Book Fair is creating a space where the past and present are told together in many ways.

Over 11 editions, the Book Fair continues to aim at spreading reading habits in the community, encouraging lifelong learning, and strengthening connections between book publishers and the public. In the context of Hanoi promoting cultural industries, science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation, this connection also expands the role of reading culture in building a foundation of knowledge and human resources for the development of the capital city.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/hoi-sach-ha-noi-mo-khong-gian-tri-thuc-trong-ky-nguyen-so-d711546.html