Hanoi (VNA) – The second Cultures of the World Festival in Hanoi 2026 opened on October 1 at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel under the theme “Converging Heritage – Shaping the Future.”
The four-day festival is jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Hanoi People’s Committee.
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra attended and delivered remarks at the opening ceremony, which also brought together Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh, Hanoi People’s Committee Chairman Vu Dai Thang, representatives of ministries and central agencies, ambassadors, chargés d’affaires and heads of diplomatic missions, as well as artists, artisans and cultural researchers.
Addressing the event, Tra said the festival is a gathering that connects cultures, spreads the spirit of friendship and creativity, and promotes dialogue for peace and development.
The festival takes on special significance as it is held in the year marking the 50th anniversary of Vietnam’s accession to UNESCO and at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site is a symbol of Vietnam’s long history, cultural vitality and aspiration for peace and prosperity, she said.
According to the Deputy PM, heritage represents the memory of each nation and the result of human knowledge, labour and creativity accumulated over thousands of years. Heritage, however, does not belong only to the past. It remains present and serves as an important resource for shaping the future.
Each country and nation has its own heritage, but when brought together, these cultural values enrich the diversity of human civilisation, she noted.
Folk songs, dances, music and traditional performing arts, as well as traditional costumes, cuisine, handicrafts, monuments, landscapes, festivals and folk knowledge, all tell stories about people, cultures, homelands and the aspirations and values that generations seek to pass on to the future.
“Convergence of heritage is therefore a convergence of people, while convergence of cultures is a convergence of shared human values,” the Deputy PM said.
She noted that the world is undergoing rapid changes, with digital technology, artificial intelligence and new forms of communication transforming how people create, experience and share cultural values.
Vietnam views culture as both the spiritual foundation of society and an important goal, driving force and resource for national development, she said. The country is working to build an advanced culture imbued with national identity while actively absorbing the cultural quintessence of humanity and expanding international cultural exchange and cooperation.
She stressed that heritage conservation must go hand in hand with promotion, tradition with creativity, and heritage with contemporary life. Science, technology and AI should also be further applied to digitise, preserve, restore and promote heritage, helping bring authentic cultural values closer to communities, particularly younger generations.
UNESCO World Heritage Centre Director Lazare Eloundou Assomo said there could be no more suitable venue for the festival than the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, whose archaeological layers span more than a millennium and reflect the continuity of political and cultural life.
Over the four days, 45 cultural spaces, 35 food stalls, 19 international performing arts troupes, film screenings and fashion shows from around the world will bring new life to the ancient site, he said.
He described the celebration of world cultures at a place representing the enduring creative journey of a civilisation as a powerful statement on the meaning of heritage.
The festival runs from October 1-4, featuring the participation of 50 countries and international organisations. The event aims to promote friendship, mutual understanding and trust among peoples, while highlighting the power of culture to connect people across borders and differences and contribute to a peaceful, humane and sustainable world./.
