Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra delivers the opening speech - Photo: DANH KHANG
That was one of three messages that Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra mentioned at the opening ceremony of the 2nd World Cultural Festival 2026 on the evening of October 1st at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel historical site in Hanoi.
The event, which runs until October 4th, is jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , and the Hanoi People's Committee to celebrate the cultural diversity of countries around the world, while promoting the image of Vietnam and its people to international friends.
Attending the opening ceremony, in addition to Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra, were Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh; Mr. Vu Dai Thang - Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee; Mr. Lazare Eloundou Assomo - Director of the World Heritage Center… along with leaders of central ministries and agencies, international guests and a large number of people - Photo: DANH KHANG
"Vietnam wants to become a regular meeting point for world culture."
In her opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra stated that heritage is the memory of each nation, but heritage does not belong only to the past. Heritage values are present in the present and are an important resource for building the future.
According to her, the world today is constantly changing. Digital technology, artificial intelligence, and new methods of communication are profoundly altering how people create, receive, and disseminate cultural values.
Vietnam recognizes culture as both the spiritual foundation of society and an important goal, driving force, and resource for the country.
In this journey, preservation must be linked to promotion; tradition must be linked to innovation; heritage must be linked to contemporary life; and culture must be linked to people and development.
Ms. Tra hopes the festival will spread sustainable values and convey three messages. First, to come together to understand each other, and to connect to develop together. Second, to cherish and preserve heritage for transmission; and to innovate to enrich the value of heritage in each nation and globally.
Ultimately, the festival creates an international cultural space, fostering cultural connection, fostering mutual understanding, and above all, working together to build a peaceful, humane, prosperous, and sustainable world.
"We hope the festival will become a regular meeting point for world culture; a space for dialogue, creativity, and international cultural cooperation; where heritage values converge, spread, and together build the future," she said.
Mr. Lazare Eloundou Assomo - Director of the World Heritage Centre, giving a speech - Photo: DANH KHANG
Something that purely policy dialogues sometimes fail to achieve.
Mr. Lazare Eloundou Assomo - Director of the World Heritage Centre - believes that cultural diversity is a source of inspiration for creativity, dialogue, and mutual understanding that the world desperately needs, especially in this turbulent period besieged by war and climate change.
A representative from the World Heritage Centre added that, with the recent adoption of the International Decade for Culture for Sustainable Development initiative launched by Vietnam, we clearly recognize that culture is not a luxury.
Culture plays a vital role in societal development, in how communities build resilience, and in how nations seek common ground.
He argued that a festival like this offers something that purely policy dialogues sometimes fail to achieve: an opportunity to experience a different culture firsthand – through its music, stories, crafts, and how that culture is present in daily life.
This opens up new dialogues and serves as a reminder of something often forgotten in parliamentary settings: behind every heritage tradition lies a vibrant community with valuable lessons for us.
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra visits the booths at the festival - Photo: DANH KHANG
The opening ceremony of the 2nd World Cultural Festival 2026 on the evening of October 1st attracted a large audience - Photo: DANH KHANG
Enjoying international specialties - Photo: DANH KHANG
The atmosphere at the exhibition booths - Photo: DANH KHANG
The Deputy Prime Minister shakes hands with representatives of international booths - Photo: DANH KHANG
The 2nd World Cultural Festival featured participation from 50 countries and international organizations on a large scale - Photo: DANH KHANG
According to the organizers, this year's World Cultural Festival attracted participation from 50 countries and international organizations.
With an upgraded scale and more diverse content compared to the first event, this year's event features 45 cultural spaces, 35 food stalls, a film screening program with participation from 20 countries, a fashion space with traditional costumes submitted by 15 countries, and the participation of 19 international art troupes, promising to create multicultural musical exchange spaces throughout the 4 days (from October 1st to October 4th).
DAU DUNG - DANH KHANG
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khai-mac-le-hoi-van-hoa-the-gioi-va-dieu-de-bi-lang-quen-trong-cac-nghi-truong-100261001214601312.htm
