Opening ceremony of the second World Cultural Festival. (Photo: THẾ ĐẠI)
The second World Cultural Festival in Hanoi is jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , and the People's Committee of Hanoi. This year, the festival holds profound significance as it coincides with the 50th anniversary of Vietnam's membership in UNESCO.
The opening ceremony took place at 8 PM on October 1st at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel historical site. Attending the festival were Comrade Pham Thi Thanh Tra , Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Deputy Prime Minister; Central Committee members: Lam Thi Phuong Thanh, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Vu Dai Thang, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee; Comrade Bui Hoai Son, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department; and numerous leaders from central and Hanoi city departments, ministries, and agencies.
On the international side, the attendees included Mr. Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, along with representatives from embassies, diplomatic agencies, and international organizations.
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra delivered the opening speech at the festival.
In her opening remarks at the Festival, Comrade Pham Thi Thanh Tra, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and Deputy Prime Minister, stated that the second World Cultural Festival received participation from 50 countries and international organizations, with a rich scale, content, and experiential forms… This is a bridge to foster friendship, understanding, and trust among nations to jointly build a peaceful, humane, and sustainably developed world for humanity; with the miraculous power of culture, connecting people to people, overcoming all distances and differences so that no border can separate empathy, sharing, and the aspiration for peace.
This is a bridge that fosters friendship, understanding, and trust among nations to jointly build a peaceful, humane, and sustainably developed world for humanity; with the miraculous power of culture, connecting people to people, overcoming all distances and differences so that no border can separate empathy, sharing, and the aspiration for peace.
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra
With that spirit in mind, the Deputy Prime Minister hopes that the festival will not only leave beautiful impressions, but more importantly, spread sustainable values and convey three messages:
Firstly, we come together to understand each other, and connect to grow together.
Secondly, we must cherish and preserve our heritage for future generations; and innovate to enrich the value of our national and global heritage.
Thirdly, the festival aims to create an international cultural space – a place where the world comes to Vietnam and Vietnam gets closer to the world; to connect cultures, understand each other better, and above all, to build a peaceful, humane, prosperous, and sustainable world together.
“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. I believe that, with the participation of countries, international organizations, artists, artisans, researchers, and the community, this year's Festival will be a great success, leaving profound impressions and memorable experiences; spreading the values, vitality, and strength of Vietnamese culture; bringing Vietnamese culture closer to the world and the world closer to Vietnam,” – Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra affirmed.
Mr. Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, said that the festival's theme, "Convergence of Heritage - Shaping the Future," directly reflects UNESCO's deepest belief, rooted in its fundamental mission of building peace in the minds of every individual: that cultural diversity is the inspiration for creativity, dialogue, and mutual understanding that the world desperately needs, especially in this turbulent period besieged by war and climate change.
Lazare Eloundou Assomo argues that a festival like this offers something that purely policy dialogues cannot: an opportunity to experience another culture firsthand – through music , stories, crafts, and how that culture is present in daily life. These encounters can shift perspectives, open new dialogues, and remind us of something easily forgotten in parliamentary settings: that behind every heritage tradition lies a vibrant community with valuable lessons for us.
The performance "Six Offerings of Flower Lanterns".
At the opening ceremony, along with unique artistic performances showcasing Vietnamese cultural identity such as "Offering Betel," "Sitting Leaning Against the Boat's Edge," "Six Offerings of Lanterns," "Bac Bling," "Song of the Southern Land," "Made in Vietnam," "Vietnamese People Love Each Other," "Rice Drum," "Hanoi Xam," etc., there were also performances by international art troupes from countries such as China, Laos, Cambodia, South Korea, Indonesia, Israel, Peru, and Bangladesh.
Many famous artists and art groups participated in the opening ceremony, including Hoa Minzy, Duc Phuc, Hoang Bach, Truc Nhan, Vo Trong Phuc, Chu Bao Que, Ha Myo, Solo Drummer Truong Thu Ha, and various domestic and international art troupes…
This year's festival brings together participants from 50 countries and international organizations, further affirming the scale and ever-expanding reach of an international cultural diplomacy event. It's an opportunity for cultures to meet, interact, and share unique values, while promoting the image of Vietnam, Hanoi, and the country's cultural values and heritage to the world.
With an upgraded scale and more diverse content compared to the first festival, the second World Culture Festival in Hanoi features 45 cultural spaces, 35 food stalls, a film screening program with 18 participating countries, a fashion space with traditional costumes submitted by 15 countries, and the participation of 20 international art troupes, creating multicultural musical exchange spaces throughout the period from October 1st to 4th.
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Source: https://nhandan.vn/nhung-sac-mau-van-hoa-tai-dem-khai-mac-le-hoi-van-hoa-the-gioi-post992431.html
