On the evening of October 1st, at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel historical site, the second World Cultural Festival in Hanoi 2026 officially opened with the theme "Gathering Heritage - Shaping the Future".
The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra ; leaders of central ministries and agencies, Hanoi city; representatives of UNESCO, embassies, diplomatic agencies, as well as artists, artisans, cultural researchers and international delegates.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra said the event was a festival of encounters and connections between cultures, spreading the spirit of friendship, creativity, and dialogue for peace and development.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, this year's festival is particularly significant as it is being held in the year commemorating the 50th anniversary of Vietnam's accession to UNESCO and at Thang Long Imperial Citadel - a World Cultural Heritage site.
"Heritage is the memory of each nation, the crystallization of intellect, labor, and creativity over thousands of years of history. 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," the Deputy Prime Minister said.
The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that each country and each nation has its own unique heritage, but when they come together, they create diversity in cultural expressions, enriching the treasury of human civilization.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, from folk songs, dances, music , folk performing arts, costumes, cuisine, traditional crafts to historical sites, scenic spots, festivals and folk knowledge, these values all tell stories about people, culture, homeland and the values passed down from generation to future.
"Therefore, the convergence of heritage is the convergence of people; the convergence of culture is the convergence of the common values of humanity," Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra emphasized.
The opening performance at the second World Culture Festival in Hanoi in 2026. (Photo by Thanh Long)
Referring to the role of culture in the current context, the Deputy Prime Minister stated that digital technology, artificial intelligence, and new communication methods are changing how people create, receive, and disseminate cultural values.
Vietnam recognizes culture as both the spiritual foundation of society and a crucial goal, driving force, and resource for the country. In this process, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the need for preservation combined with promotion, tradition combined with innovation, heritage combined with contemporary life, while also promoting the application of science, technology, and artificial intelligence to digitize, preserve, restore, and promote heritage.
The Deputy Prime Minister stated that the second World Cultural Festival features the participation of 50 countries and international organizations, with 45 cultural spaces, 35 food stalls, 18 countries registering to screen films, and 19 international art troupes with 220 artists from 5 continents.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, this is a bridge to foster friendship, understanding, and trust among nations, aiming towards a peaceful, humane, and sustainably developed world.
Through the festival, the Deputy Prime Minister hopes to spread three messages: gathering to understand each other, connecting to develop together; cherishing and preserving heritage to pass it on, and innovating to enrich its value; and simultaneously creating an international cultural space where the world comes to Vietnam and Vietnam gets closer to the world.
The Deputy Prime Minister also expressed his hope that the festival would become a regular meeting point for world culture, a space for dialogue, creativity, and international cultural cooperation, where heritage values are gathered, disseminated, and together they build the future.
Delegates perform the opening ceremony of the second World Cultural Festival in Hanoi in 2026. (Photo by Thanh Long)
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, highly appreciated the significance of bringing together different cultures in Hanoi.
He argued that festivals are proof that culture is not only preserved but also continued through contact, sharing, and interaction between people.
According to Mr. Lazare Eloundou Assomo, cultural diversity is a source of inspiration for creativity, dialogue, and mutual understanding. The gathering of more than 50 countries in Hanoi, bringing together their unique cultural characteristics and sharing a space for exchange, is a meaningful activity for promoting understanding among nations.
The Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Center also emphasized that Thang Long Imperial Citadel is a suitable space for organizing the festival, as the site reflects layers of history and culture spanning more than a millennium.
2026 also marks the 50th anniversary of Vietnam's membership in UNESCO. According to Mr. Lazare Eloundou Assomo, this collaborative journey demonstrates how culture and heritage can connect peoples and contribute to building understanding and trust between nations.
As part of the opening ceremony, the art program "Convergence of Heritage - Shaping the Future" showcased Vietnamese cultural values and featured performances by international art troupes.
This program kicks off a series of activities for the festival taking place from October 1st to 4th in Hanoi, including cultural spaces, food, cinema, fashion, art performances, and interactive activities between artists, international delegates, and the public.
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Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/le-hoi-van-hoa-the-gioi-lan-thu-hai-khai-hoi-tai-hoang-thanh-thang-long-169261001142613428.htm?zarsrc=30&utm_source=zalo&utm_medium=zalo&utm_campaign=zalo
