Held from June 26 to 28 around West Lake, the festival featured a vibrant programme of cultural performances, exhibitions, hands-on experiences and tourism promotion activities, helping showcase Hanoi as a safe, friendly and culturally rich destination.
The Hanoi Lotus Festival 2026 officially opened on June 26 under the theme Colours of Hanoi Lotus, celebrating not only the flower’s beauty but also the rich cultural heritage built around it over generations.
The festival aims to showcase the cultural and tourism values of Thang Long – Hanoi, honour the beauty and significance of the lotus in Vietnamese life, and promote lotus-based products as part of efforts to boost the capital’s cultural and tourism industries.
Lotus season in Hanoi, particularly in the ponds around West Lake, is in full bloom, captivating visitors with the elegant beauty of white and pink blossoms.
Hanoi has long been a haven for photography lovers, where striking moments can be captured with ease – interwoven lights and scents, the very rhythm of a thousand-year-old capital steeped in civilisation.
The opera house will include two main auditoriums: a 1,797-seat opera hall and a versatile multi-purpose hall with 1,430 standing places and 216 balcony seats, suitable for concerts, live shows, and large-scale events. Other spaces include rehearsal rooms, a museum, viewing terraces, and an expansive main foyer.
Each summer, West Lake in Hanoi becomes a magnet for both locals and tourists. But what makes this year truly special is the return of the Bach Diep (hundred-petal) lotus—a rare, hundred-petaled variety that flourishes only in the unique soil and water of West Lake.
The Hanoi People’s Committee has also given in-principle approval to a wastewater system project in the West Lake area, with an estimated budget of over 99 billion VND (3.88 million USD) funded by Tay Ho district.
A light show, featuring an impressive 2,025 drones, is scheduled to take place on January 18 at West Lake in Hanoi, as announced by local authorities on January 6.
Located next to West Lake and radiating a peaceful, romantic charm, Hanoi’s Quang An Street was recently named one of the 30 coolest streets in the world for 2024 by the British magazine Time Out.
A drone light show expected to set a Southeast Asian record is scheduled to take place by the side of Ho Tay (West Lake) in Hanoi on the eve of the Year of the Dragon on February 9.
Tay Ho district People's Committee will soon submit to the Hanoi People’s Committee a draft regulation on the management and exploitation of the West Lake – the biggest freshwater lake in the city.
Situated on the east side of West Lake, Tran Quoc Pagoda – a landmark in Hanoi – is the oldest Buddhist temple in the capital city, dating back to the 6th century.
With the Lunar New Year holiday, or Tet, fast approaching, the Nhat Tan peach blossom village in Hanoi has become increasingly busy as many people come to snap beautiful photos or buy beautiful flowers for Tet.
“Thien co de nhat tra” (The most premium tea of time) West Lake lotus tea, made with lotus flower grown in West Lake, Hanoi, symbolizes the quintessence of the capital’s culture. The best time for making lotus tea is from the end of May to Sept. when lotuses bloom over iconic West Lake. It requires a meticulous and time-consuming process to make the tea in a traditional way.
Flowers are like a mirror of the seasons, reflecting the passage of time. Golden shower trees, or Muong Hoang Yen in Vietnamese, in blossom are dressing up the streets of Hanoi with their brilliant yellow to tell people that summer is finally here.
Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh has requested the Hanoi People’s Committee direct relevant agencies to promptly verify reports on assaults on women in the vicinity of West Lake.
For a long time, villages around the West Lake in Quang Ba, Tay Ho and Nghi Tam in Hanoi have been well known for making lotus tea. It is the scented tea that forms the delicate art of enjoying lotus tea- a special gift of Hanoians.
