HÀ NỘI The enduring cultural heritage of Hà Nội, a city shaped by over a thousand years of civilisation, will be the focus of the Thăng Long – Hà Nội 2025 Festival, taking place from November 1 to 16.

The programme will span several historically and culturally significant sites, including the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel, Ngọc Sơn Temple, Hoàn Kiếm Lake, the Temple of Literature – Quốc Tử Giám and the Hà Nội Museum.

With more than 30 scheduled activities, the festival aims to reaffirm Hà Nội’s place within the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

Now in its fourth edition, the Hà Nội Tourism Áo Dài Festival will be part of the programme for theThăng Long – Hà Nội 2025 Festival. Photothanglong.chinhphu.vn

At a press conference held on Tuesday, Lê Thị Ánh Mai, Deputy Director of the Hà Nội Department of Culture and Sports, described the festival as a chance for the city to express its commitment to cultural preservation and creative development. She noted that the event reflects Hà Nội’s identity as a city where heritage coexists with modern life and contributes to promoting Việt Nam’s cultural image internationally.

The festival’s agenda includes a wide range of exhibitions, performances and discussions.

At the Temple of Literature - Quốc Tử Giám, the programme Hội Tụ Di Sản (Heritage Convergence) will present traditional craft products from Việt Nam’s three former capitals – Thăng Long, Huế and Hoa Lư – as well as from the Central Highlands. Visitors will also have the opportunity to explore Hà Nội’s culinary traditions and take part in creative workshops at Văn Lake.

Lê Thị Ánh Mai, Deputy Director of the Hà Nội Department of Culture and Sports (second left), and Đào Xuân Dũng, Deputy Head of the Hà Nội Party Committee’s Commission for Propaganda and Mass Mobilisation (second right) and Director Phạm Hoàng Giang at the press conference for the Thăng Long – Hà Nội 2025 Festival on Tuesday. Photo nhandan.vn

Other events at this venue include an áo dài fashion show, the painting exhibition Hà Nội Thanh Tân (The Young Hà Nội), the performance Hà Nội Ơi, the display Di Sản và Tương Lai (Heritage and Future), a seminar on Eastern and Western educational and cultural heritage and the artistic programme Sông Hồng Gọi Đại Ngàn Reo (The Red River Calls the Great Forest to Sing).

At the Hà Nội Museum, the public will be able to view a special exhibition on archaeological findings from the Vườn Chuối site. The museum will also host the Rối Độc Diễn (Solo Puppet Space), where traditional Vietnamese puppetry is reinterpreted through live performance and interactive experiences. A highlight of the international art programme Khoảnh Khắc Vĩnh Cửu (Eternal Moments) will feature Swiss composer Dominique Barthassat collaborating with Hà Nội-based creative groups.

Director Phạm Hoàng Giang said the festival will offer a variety of experiences for both local and international audiences. Most events are scheduled for weekends to encourage public participation. He added that the festival supports Hà Nội’s goal of becoming a city of festivals – one that fosters creativity and responds to the diverse interests of its visitors.

The ‘Ngọc Sơn Temple – Mysterious Night’ show features a performance that reimagines the legend of Emperor Lê Thái Tổ returning a mythical sword to the turtle deity of Hoàn Kiếm Lake. Photobvhttdl.gov.vn

One of the key events is the Hà Nội Tourism Áo Dài Festival, now in its fourth edition. It will take place from November 7 to 9 at the Hà Nội Museum and around Hoàn Kiếm Lake, with activities that honour the traditional Vietnamese long dress and its connection to Hà Nội’s cultural and tourism values.

The programme also includes the Expanded Hanoi Puppetry Festival and a symposium titled ‘Preserving and Promoting the Heritage of Puppetry in Contemporary Life’. Performances such as Kinh Đô Thăng Long (Thăng Long Capital) and Ngọc Sơn Đêm Huyền Bí (Ngọc Sơn – Mysterious Night) will also be staged.

This year’s festival will mark the 10th anniversary of the sitting tug-of-war ritual and game being recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

To commemorate the occasion, an international seminar titled 'A Decade of Safeguarding and Promoting the Sitting Tug-of-War Ritual and Game’ will be held. The event will include cultural exchanges and live demonstrations featuring international delegations, including from South Korea, and ten heritage-practising communities from provinces and cities such as Bắc Ninh, Hưng Yên, Lào Cai, Ninh Bình, Phú Thọ and Hà Nội.

The sitting tug-of-war ritual and game of Hà Nội has been recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Photovietnamnet.vn

Đào Xuân Dũng, Deputy Head of the Hà Nội Party Committee’s Commission for Propaganda and Mass Mobilisation, emphasised that Hà Nội continues to place culture and people at the centre of its development strategy.

“Culture is a source of internal strength and Hà Nội has a responsibility to share its cultural values in support of the broader development of Vietnamese culture,” he said.

The opening ceremony will take place on the evening of November 7 at the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel, while the closing ceremony is scheduled for the evening of November 16 at Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục Square. VNS