An art performance at Hồ Văn. — VNA/VNS Photo Tuyết Mai

HÀ NỘI — Nestled beside the historic Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám (Temple of Literature), Hồ Văn (Literature Lake) is gradually establishing itself as one of the capital's emerging creative cultural spaces, where heritage, contemporary art and community life converge.

Hồ Văn is an essential architectural space of the cultural heritage site. In the past, the lake covered a vast area, but due to the city's development, it has since been reduced.

At its centre once stood Kim Châu mound, where Phán Thủy Đường was built - a place said to have hosted poetry and literature discussions among Confucian scholars of ancient times. Today, Phán Thủy Đường no longer exists.

In recent years, Hồ Văn has been restored. According to Director of the Centre for Cultural and Scientific Activities at the Temple of Literature, Dr Lê Xuân Kiêu, the restoration and landscape enhancement works aimed at both preserving and promoting its heritage values have been completed, particularly the construction of Phương Đình pavilion and preserve Kim Châu mound, giving the site a refreshed look – peaceful, green and poetic.

After nearly a year of operation, Hồ Văn has been developed into an integrated cultural destination, bringing together heritage, traditional craft villages, artistic performances, cuisine, exhibitions and seminars.

It has regularly hosted a series of cultural events and immersive tourism experiences during both the day and at night. Visitors can explore more than 30 traditionally designed pavilions arranged around the lake, creating an engaging cultural space where they can experience the richness of Việt Nam's heritage.

Visitors experience folk art at the site. — VNA/VNS Photo Khánh Hòa

The venue features two experiential zones. The first, dedicated to traditional crafts and cultural heritage, brings together master artisans and renowned craft villages from across the country.

Visitors can discover Đông Hồ folk paintings, lacquer art, Bát Tràng ceramics, Mẹo Village silk from Hưng Yên Province, Phú Vinh rattan and bamboo weaving, Chuông Village conical hats, alongside a variety of traditional folk games and activities for children.

The second zone showcases regional cuisine and local specialties, offering visitors a taste of Việt Nam's rich culinary heritage. Featured delicacies include Tây Hồ (West Lake) lotus tea, herbal wellness teas, cốm (young green rice), snail noodle soup, and a wide range of other regional specialties.

Dedicated exhibition spaces have also been developed to showcase artworks and host exhibitions, creative activities and cultural events. Government agencies, cultural organisations, embassies, educational institutions, businesses, artists and designers have increasingly chosen Hồ Văn as the venue for their major events as well.

Folk art performances have been regularly held at Hồ Văn, attracting many tourists. — VNA/VNS Photo Khánh Hòa

Under its development strategy, Hồ Văn will focus on four core offerings: cultural and traditional craft experience programmes; heritage education programmes for school and university students; cultural events and community activities; and event-hosting services for government agencies, businesses and other organisations.

The highlight of Hồ Văn lies not in its individual pavilions, but in their ability to bring together diverse traditional cultural values into a cohesive and immersive visitor experience. From this month, the venue is expected to roll out a regular series of activities under the theme Strolling Around Hồ Văn – Living with Heritage.

The venue will be open daily from 8am to 8pm, with operating hours expected to be extended as Hà Nội expands its night-time economy.

Every Saturday, the venue will host workshops and cultural experience programmes centred on a variety of themes. Meanwhile, the final Sunday of each month will feature a flagship event bringing together master artisans, traditional craft villages, as well as cultural exchanges and live performances.

Cultural Hub

Commenting on Hồ Văn's cultural tourism potential, Nguyễn Thu Hà, Executive Director of Viet Vision Travel JSC, said the site's open natural setting, together with its carefully planned design and landscaping, has created a vibrant new space for artistic creativity in Hà Nội.

"The integration of the relics has created a more complete and cohesive visitor experience across the entire Temple of Literature complex," Hà said.

"The addition of an immersive space that reflects the cultural identity of Hà Nội, particularly through traditional craft and culinary experiences, has brought a fresh dimension to visitors exploring the site."

Hồ Văn is Hà Nội's emerging cultural destination. — Photo courtesy of Hồ Văn management board

According to Vũ Văn Tuyên, Director of Travelogy Travel, Hồ Văn's immersive cultural experiences are well suited to international tourists staying in Hà Nội for two to three days, while also making the site an excellent destination for educational tours.

After visiting the Temple of Literature, students can continue to Hồ Văn to explore Vietnamese culture through traditional folk games, craft workshops and local culinary experiences.

To enhance the attractiveness of the site, Tuyên suggested enhancing visitor flow, strengthening promotional efforts and maintaining a regular programme of high-quality cultural events.

Dr Kiêu said Hồ Văn is being developed into a new cultural industry hub for Hà Nội, with the ambition of becoming a distinctive cultural experience space.

To realise this vision, the centre has identified strengthening partnerships with tour operators as a key priority, encouraging visitors to continue to Hồ Văn after exploring the temple's main sanctuary. It will also step up promotional efforts to raise public awareness of the cultural experience the site offers.

"In the long term, we aim to connect Hồ Văn with the main temple grounds and Giám Garden to form an integrated whole within the overall development of the Temple of Literature - Quốc Tử Giám complex," he said.

"The main temple grounds will continue to preserve and showcase their historical, cultural and spiritual significance, while Hồ Văn and Giám Garden will become open venues for cultural experiences, exchanges and large-scale events." VNS