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 officially took place, concluding four days of vibrant cultural exchange and leaving many lasting impressions on the people of Hanoi, domestic and international tourists.
Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh and other delegates attended the closing ceremony.
Attending the closing ceremony were Central Committee member and Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh; Central Committee member and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh; and Central Committee member and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and Central mass organizations Pham Tat Thang.
Also attending were Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong; Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Truong Viet Dung; ambassadors, chargés d'affaires, heads of diplomatic missions and international organizations in Vietnam; artists, artisans and a large number of people in Hanoi.
Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and Central Mass Organizations Pham Tat Thang presented commemorative medals of the Festival to international delegations.
At the Closing Ceremony, the Organizing Committee presented commemorative plaques of the Festival to the international delegations, as a token of gratitude and recognition to the artists, artisans, and friends who brought their talent, cultural identity, and spirit of sharing to Hanoi .
Respecting differences leads to better understanding.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh emphasized 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.
New connections are being formed, giving us confidence that culture will bring people, nations, and peoples closer together. This is also the fundamental value that Vietnam hopes to build with its international friends through this festival.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh delivered the closing remarks at the second World Culture Festival in Hanoi.
Minister Lam Thi Phuong Thanh also stated that this year's festival takes place at a particularly significant time, as Vietnam celebrates its 50th anniversary of joining UNESCO.
The past half-century has witnessed a significant shift in Vietnam's standing: from a country emerging from war, Vietnam has gradually become an active and responsible member of UNESCO; not only participating in the preservation of cultural values, but increasingly proactively contributing initiatives to global issues. The "International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development 2027-2036" initiative clearly demonstrates this spirit.
For Vietnam, culture is both the spiritual foundation of society and a goal, driving force, and resource for national development.
Heritage preservation is not just about retaining what belongs to the past; it's about ensuring that heritage continues to live in contemporary life, continues to be created, continues to generate new values, and is passed on to future generations. This is also the theme of this year's festival: "Gathering Heritage - Shaping the Future."
The Minister emphasized that the past four days have also 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.
Therefore, Vietnam recognizes that cultural diplomacy is not only about promoting the country's image, but also an important method for building friendly relations, enhancing understanding, strengthening trust, and raising national standing.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will continue to closely coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the city of Hanoi, UNESCO, diplomatic missions, and international partners to gradually build the World Cultural Festival in Hanoi into a prestigious international cultural exchange and cooperation platform, held annually, with its own unique identity and concrete cooperation results each year.
Art program at the second World Culture Festival in Hanoi
"We hope that Hanoi will not only be a venue for festivals, but will increasingly become a regular meeting point for cultures; a place where initiatives on heritage, creativity, cultural industries, and sustainable development are connected and spread positive values," the Minister expressed.
Minister Lam Thi Phuong Thanh also affirmed that Vietnam is ready to work with other countries and international organizations to continue expanding dialogue, sharing experiences, protecting cultural diversity, promoting creativity, and enhancing the role of culture in peace, development, and human progress.
“From Hanoi, we wish to send a message: respect differences to understand each other better; share values to connect with each other more; and cooperate culturally to jointly build a civilized, peaceful, cooperative, and developed world,” the Minister said, declaring the closing of the second World Cultural Festival in Hanoi in 2026.
Opening new connections through culture.
With the theme "Convergence of Heritage – Shaping the Future," this year's 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 various creative forms coexisted, interacted, and connected.
A notable feature of this year's festival is its widespread reach to the public, not only within the Thang Long Imperial Citadel but also across public spaces and media platforms.
The parades on the pedestrian streets brought the vibrant cultures of various countries closer to the people and tourists; the Opening and Closing Ceremonies were broadcast live on VTV, expanding their reach to audiences nationwide.
Art program at the second World Culture Festival in Hanoi
Furthermore, Meta's participation and support have contributed to spreading the festival's activities, images, and stories more widely across digital platforms, thereby expanding the festival's reach from a live event in Hanoi to a cultural gathering accessible to a large domestic and international audience.
Beyond showcasing the unique cultural identities and values of various nations, the festival also fosters encounters between artists, artisans, creators, and the public; contributing to enhanced understanding, fostering friendship, and opening new connections through culture.
A large audience attended the closing ceremony.
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.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/phat-huy-vai-role-of-van-hoa-doi-voi-hoa-binh-phat-trien-va-su-tien-bo-cua-con-nguoi-271479.html
