Martial arts

Martial artists perform in the closing ceremony of the Hà Nội International Martial Arts Festival 2026 on August 9. VNA/VNS Photos

HÀ NỘI — The 2026 Hà Nội International Martial Arts Festival has wrapped up after three days of exciting combat and performance activities, during a vibrant closing ceremony next to the legendary Hoàn Kiếm Lake on August 9.

At the event, Deputy Director of the Hà Nội Department of Culture and Sports Phạm Tuấn Long said the festival not only impressed local residents and tourists with spectacular performances and competitions, but also connected martial arts masters, practitioners and learners through seminars and meetings held across the city.

Music and light art are blended with the martial arts performance.

"From the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel to the Hoàn Kiếm Lake area, and from traditional martial arts to modern disciplines, the festival has created a bridge connecting heritage with contemporary life, and national identity with the spirit of integration," said Long.

"It contributes to promoting the image of Hà Nội, a capital with a thousand years of civilisation and a City for Peace, as a safe, friendly, creative and culturally rich destination."

Over the course of the three-day event, nearly 2,000 participants from 66 local and international delegations attended the country's largest-ever martial arts festival, which was rich in cultural identity and high in professional quality.

Many delegations took part in the martial arts shows.

A wide range of activities, including traditional and modern martial arts demonstrations, friendly competitions, exhibitions of uniforms, weaponry and historical artefacts, cultural experiences and supporting events were held at various locations across the city and attracted large numbers of residents and tourists who participated and watched both live and through online platforms.

Local residents and visitors came out in droves to the first ever international martial arts festival in Hà Nội.

“Building on the success of this inaugural festival, we will continue to refine its organisational model, gradually expand its scale, improve its professional quality and strengthen international exchange and cooperation, with the aim of establishing the event as a distinctive cultural and sports product of the capital in the years to come,” said Long.

The festival will be held annually to create a platform for international delegates to network and learn more about Vietnamese martial arts.

The organising board also said that domestic and international martial arts schools would maintain close ties and collaboration, enhance exchanges and the sharing of expertise and organise activities, demonstrations and competitions to spread The Spirit of Thăng Long – The Essence of Vietnamese Martial Arts worldwide.

The festival was held as part of a series of activities in Hà Nội aiming to carry out the Politburo's Resolution 80-NQ/TW on the development of Vietnamese culture and Resolution 02-NQ/TW on the construction and development of the capital city in the new era. — VNS