Hanoi (VNA) – Following the success of the inaugural edition in 2024, the central province of Quang Tri cooperates with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to elevate the Festival for Peace to the national scale this year, a local official told an international press conference held in Hanoi on June 25.
The festival, running from April to December, features a wide range of commemorative, cultural, artistic, sporting, tourism, investment networking, trade promotion and community activities carrying messages of peace, friendship and development, organisers said.
Hoang Xuan Tan, Vice Chairman of the Quang Tri People’s Committee and head of the organising committee, said that designed to honour the spirit of solidarity and friendship while promoting the message of peace to Vietnamese people and the international community, the festival also serves as an occasion to commemorate and pay tribute to fallen heroes who sacrificed for national independence and freedom.
At the same time, he added, the event showcases Quang Tri as a dynamic province with a strong cultural identity, introduces its tourism and cultural potential, and creates opportunities for organisations and businesses to strengthen cooperation and investment, thus contributing to local socio-economic development.
Speaking at the press conference, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong stressed that the festival is not merely a cultural event but also represents Vietnam’s continued and practical contribution to broader international efforts to promote dialogue, deepen mutual understanding and build a peaceful and sustainable future for generations to come.
He said it is a step to implement Vietnam’s strategic orientations on cultural development and the promotion of national soft power, including the objective of positioning the country as an attractive destination for regional and international cultural and artistic events.
Artistic performances, cultural exchanges and commemorative activities at the festival are also expected to enhance the international profile of Vietnam, its people and its cultural values, Cuong noted.
According to organisers, the main events of the festival include an opening ceremony on July 4 at the Hien Luong – Ben Hai special national relic site. The opening ceremony will be broadcast live on television and feature a large-scale artistic programme combining music, immersive staging and multi-space performances on both banks of the Ben Hai River, symbolically connecting the North and South across the historic Hien Luong Bridge.
A candle-lighting tribute ceremony marking the 79th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27, 1947–2026) will take place on July 26 at war cemeteries and memorial sites across Quang Tri, accompanied by a lantern floating ceremony on the Thach Han River.
A hot air balloon festival is scheduled for November and will bring together pilots, balloon teams and artists from numerous countries and territories, while a national concert is expected to be held in December.
Earlier in the festival calendar, Quang Tri teamed up with the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper to organise a cycling for peace festival in April, attracting more than 500 domestic and international cyclists, followed by a concert in Dong Hoi ward on June 20.
Alongside the headline events, the festival will also include a series of accompanying activities such as the Quang Tri Amazing Marathon in August, an exhibition of works by painter Le Ba Dang in the same month, and activities marking the 100th anniversary of Khe Sanh coffee in October./.
VNA
