Opening Ceremony of the Thầy Pagoda Festival 2026 and Culture and Tourism Week

(CLO) On the evening of April 20th, at the Thầy Pagoda National Special Historical Site, the People's Committee of Quoc Oai commune organized the opening ceremony of the Thầy Pagoda Festival 2026, simultaneously inaugurating the Culture and Tourism Week and a space for promoting products and specialties of traditional craft villages associated with the festival.

The ceremony was attended by the Standing Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, Duong Duc Tuan, along with representatives from various city departments and agencies, and a large number of local people and tourists from all over.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Ngo Van Hung, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quoc Oai commune, emphasized that Thay Pagoda is a special national monument, a typical scenic spot of the Doai region, associated with Zen Master Tu Dao Hanh – a figure who had a profound influence on spiritual life and is honored as the founder of traditional water puppetry. Over the centuries, the monument has not only preserved historical values ​​but also served as a cultural space that connects the community and enriches the spiritual life of the people.

Delegates perform the ceremonial button-pressing to officially open the Culture, Tourism, and Trade Promotion Week, kicking off a series of activities to promote and connect local culture, tourism, and economy . Photo: Organizing Committee

The Thầy Pagoda Festival was inscribed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2024. This year, the festival takes place in the context of the two-tiered local government model officially coming into operation, contributing to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of management and serving the people.

In particular, within the framework of the 2026 festival, the locality will commemorate the 85th anniversary of the flag-planting ceremony on Thầy Mountain – a historically significant event that contributed to encouraging the revolutionary movement in the former Sơn Tây province, and has become a cultural and historical memory associated with this land.

Highlighting the new features of the festival season, the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quoc Oai commune said that the locality has focused on investing in infrastructure, improving the environment, and putting into operation a Center for Innovation and Introduction of OCOP products using digital technology , helping tourists experience and learn more about the value of the historical site.

Opening Ceremony of the Thầy Pagoda Festival and the 2026 Culture, Tourism, and Trade Promotion Week

In addition, many new activities were organized, most notably the 3D mapping light show with the theme "Light Touching Memories," contributing to enriching the festival space. Traditional rituals such as the bathing of the Buddha statue, the opening ceremony, the welcoming of the Buddha, the procession of the palanquin, etc., along with folk cultural activities such as water puppetry and folk games, continued to be maintained, creating a unique identity for the festival.

Also at the ceremony, a representative from the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade stated that organizing the Culture, Tourism, and Trade Promotion Week associated with the Thầy Pagoda Festival is a concrete implementation of the city's policy on linking trade promotion with cultural and tourism promotion. This is not merely a commercial activity but also an important solution to connect production with consumption, link cultural values ​​with economic development, and contribute to spreading the image of a cultured, modern, and distinctive capital city.

This program is one of a series of trade promotion activities implemented at the grassroots level, aimed at supporting businesses, cooperatives, and production facilities in expanding their consumer markets, enhancing brand value, and improving the competitiveness of their products.

According to the Organizing Committee, this year's program brings together approximately 100 booths from 60 businesses, cooperatives, and production facilities from Hanoi and many provinces and cities nationwide. The products on display are diverse, including regional specialties, OCOP products, traditional craft products, and handicrafts, meeting the needs of locals and tourists for sightseeing and shopping.

Through these activities, the Organizing Committee hopes to contribute to promoting the consumption of Vietnamese goods, preserving and developing traditional craft villages, and creating momentum for the sustainable development of trade, services, and tourism.

Source: https://congluan.vn/khai-mac-le-hoi-chua-thay-2026-va-tuan-le-van-hoa-du-lich-10338896.html