Calligraphers selected through a rigorous, transparent review process demonstrate their craft at the Spring Calligraphy Festival 2026 at Van Lake. — Photos Phạm Sỹ

HÀ NỘI — The Spring Calligraphy Festival for the 2026 Year of the Horse 2026 has officially opened at the Van Lake space, part of the Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám complex.

A cherished cultural event held every Lunar New Year, the festival will run from February 11 to March 1, 2026, welcoming visitors daily from 8am to 10pm.

This year’s festival is themed 'National Learning', paying tribute to Việt Nam’s long-standing tradition of valuing education while encouraging a serious, creative and ethical learning spirit – values deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture.

Beyond being a space to admire calligraphy and request auspicious characters at the start of the year, the Spring Calligraphy Festival promotes respect for learning, moral values and the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty.

The 2026 edition marks a notable transformation in both spatial design and programme content.

Van Lake has been comprehensively upgraded and landscaped, creating an elegant spring setting that harmoniously blends tradition with a contemporary sensibility.

Functional zones have been thoughtfully arranged, including exhibition areas, heritage experience spaces, a traditional craft village experience area, a New Year calligraphy area and a culinary culture zone.

Requesting calligraphy at the start of the Lunar New Year is a long-standing cultural tradition, reflecting wishes for knowledge, moral character and good fortune in the year ahead.

A major highlight of the festival is the New Year calligraphy activity, featuring 35 booths run by calligraphers carefully selected through an objective and transparent review process. The activity not only meets the public’s spiritual needs – wishing for good fortune, academic success and career advancement

but also honours the artistic value of traditional calligraphy.

In addition, the organising committee has introduced a wide range of activities catering to diverse audiences, such as heritage education programmes, reading culture spaces, displays of handicraft products, folk games, traditional chess, lion dances and folk art performances including quan họ folk songs, ca trù singing and chèo traditional theatre.

These activities take place across the Inner Sanctuary, Giám Garden and Van Lake, creating a lively spring atmosphere rich in cultural identity.

Within the Inner Sanctuary, alongside the permanent exhibitions The First National University and Igniting the Spirit of Learning, visitors can explore the exhibition Traces of Literary Heritage 4: A Millennium of Learning at the front hall of the Thái Học House. Other themed displays include Horses Come to the Streets and Stone Steles Preserve History.

Together, these exhibitions reaffirm the historical and cultural depth of Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám within the continuum of Thăng Long – Hà Nội’s literary heritage.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director of the Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám Centre for Cultural and Scientific Activities, Lê Xuân Kiêu said the festival aims to bring spiritual joy, inner peace and a positive beginning to the year for residents and visitors alike.

He noted that this year’s theme, National Learning, is closely linked to the 950th anniversary of the founding of Quốc Tử Giám – Việt Nam’s first national university. The theme highlights the site’s special role in the country’s educational history and reaffirms enduring values such as respect for teachers, reverence for learning and the nurturing of talent – foundations of Thăng Long – Hà Nội’s cultural identity and that of the Vietnamese nation.

Alongside promoting traditional cultural values, the organising committee has placed strong emphasis on discipline, responsibility and community service, ensuring the festival is conducted in a dignified, civilised and safe manner, while preserving the cherished image of Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám in the eyes of both domestic and international visitors. — VNS