Opening Ceremony of Hoa Lu Festival 2026

Attending the opening ceremony were Comrade Pham Gia Tuc, Member of the Political Bureau and Standing Deputy Prime Minister; Comrade Nguyen Thi Thanh, Member of the Central Committee of the Party and Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly; along with other members of the Central Committee of the Party, former members of the Central Committee of the Party; leaders of central and local departments, ministries and agencies; representatives of foreign diplomatic missions; international organizations; and thousands of local people and tourists from all over the country.

The Hoa Lu Festival in 2026 is an event of profound political, historical, and cultural significance, commemorating the 1,058th anniversary of national hero Dinh Bo Linh's unification of the country, establishment of the capital, and official declaration of emperorship, giving birth to the Dai Co Viet State - the first centralized feudal state in the nation's history, a glorious event affirming the independence, self-reliance, and strength of the nation.

In his opening remarks at the festival, Comrade Nguyen Thanh Binh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, stated: Ninh Binh province is proud to be an ancient land, a place where the spiritual essence of the nation is concentrated, inhabited by people since prehistoric times, more than 30,000 years ago; before the formation of Hoa Lu capital, this place was once a cultural, political, and economic center with the role and function of a major administrative center. Throughout the thousands of years of nation-building and national defense, Ninh Binh has always been a strategic area, marking the long campaigns to protect the independence, sovereignty , and territorial integrity of the Vietnamese people.

In the 10th century, this place was chosen as the capital of the Dai Co Viet State, after Dinh Bo Linh rose to power, unified the country, proclaimed himself Emperor, and established the first centralized feudal state in the nation's history; it was also where King Le Dai Hành made historical decisions, safeguarding national independence, expanding the territory, building a prosperous nation, and laying the groundwork for the brilliant development of feudal state institutions in subsequent periods.

The Hoa Lu capital, under the Dinh, Early Le, and Ly dynasties, made immense contributions and played a crucial role in the nation's history, strongly affirming national independence, self-reliance, and self-respect, creating a solid foundation for subsequent feudal dynasties to inherit and develop. More than a thousand years have passed, but the echoes of the ancient Hoa Lu capital still resonate today. The spiritual essence of the capital, the merits of nation-building, national defense, and the care for the people by the wise and benevolent rulers remain imprinted throughout the nation's history, in the consciousness of the people, and in their profound gratitude.

The annual Hoa Lu Festival is a long-standing cultural event that vividly and vividly reflects the life, background, and achievements of Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang and the history of Vietnam. In the past, the Hoa Lu Festival was organized as a major ceremony by the feudal monarchies of Vietnam, with widespread influence, preserving unique elements of folk culture and arts. Over time, the festival has become a spiritual and cultural activity for the people of the ancient capital in particular and the entire nation in general, honoring beautiful cultural values, expressing profound respect and gratitude to the emperors and ancestors, ensuring that the values of the Dai Co Viet State live on through time and history. With its outstanding and enduring values, the Hoa Lu Festival has been recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, and together with the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, it creates the special value of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, which has been inscribed by the United Nations Educational , Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site.

The Hoa Lu Festival in 2026 is an opportunity for Ninh Binh province and the whole country to recall the heroic traditions of the nation; to honor the great role and value of the Dai Co Viet State in the historical process; to demonstrate the strength of the nation's will for independence, self-reliance, unity, and aspiration for peace; to remember and express gratitude for the merits of Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang and other emperors and ancestors in the cause of nation-building and national defense; and to honor cultural and natural heritage with humanistic, harmonious, inclusive, and sustainable values.

Ninh Binh province has always recognized that heritage is not only a source of pride but also a tremendous resource. Culture is not only a spiritual foundation but also an intrinsic strength. Preserving and promoting the values of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, and the province's unique cultural values is a central, ongoing, and long-term task. In this new phase of development, Ninh Binh province is steadfast in its goal of green, sustainable, and harmonious development; taking heritage as the foundation, culture as the resource, and people as the center; science, technology, and innovation as the new driving force for development. It is determined to strive to build Ninh Binh province into a centrally-governed city by 2030, characterized as a Millennium Heritage City, and together with the rest of the country, enter a new era – an era of prosperity and strength for the Vietnamese nation.

Speaking at the ceremony, Comrade Pham Gia Tuc, Member of the Political Bureau and Standing Deputy Prime Minister, emphasized that Ninh Binh is proud to be the land that ushered in the first period of independence and self-reliance of the nation with Hoa Lu capital, a symbol of Vietnamese resilience and wisdom. With 42 years as the capital of Dai Co Viet, Hoa Lu was the birthplace of Vietnamese feudal dynasties, preserving the original values in the journey of national revival. Among them, the spirit of national defense, the will for self-reliance, the aspiration for unification and the building of an independent nation of Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang is a historical milestone, a lasting spiritual value that illuminates the cause of building and protecting the Fatherland. Today, Ninh Binh province is emerging as a new growth hub of the Red River Delta and the Northern coastal region.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested that the Party Committee, government, and people of the province continue to uphold the tradition of unity; strengthen the comprehensive building and rectification of the Party and political system; focus the highest priority on leadership, direction, and implementation of Central and provincial resolutions; innovate thinking, vision, and leadership methods; act more decisively and breakthroughs; improve governance effectiveness; achieve breakthroughs in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation; maximize resource mobilization; invest in strategic infrastructure; and develop high-quality human resources. At the same time, they should be determined to achieve double-digit economic growth in the 2025-2030 term, placing the province among the leading localities nationwide in terms of growth rate and per capita income; build a modern economic system; attract large-scale projects with high added value; and promote regional growth and linkages. Developing cultural tourism into a truly leading economic sector for the locality; ensuring harmony between conservation and development, preserving green landscapes and ecological environment…

Building on the spirit of Hoa Lu, the province must not only preserve the heritage of its ancestors but also transform it into a driving force for development, continuing history and writing the future from its very national roots. Through this, it will contribute to the goal of building the province into a centrally-governed city by 2030, characterized as a Millennium Heritage City.

Following the speech by Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc, Provincial Party Secretary Tran Huy Tuan beat the drum, officially opening the Hoa Lu Festival 2026.

Following this, delegates and a large number of local people and tourists enjoyed a spectacular art program with the theme "Ninh Binh - A Thousand-Year-Old Spiritual Essence, Shining Brightly." The program consisted of two parts: Part I: Ninh Binh's Eternal Legacy, Part II: Ninh Binh - Vietnam's Bright Future, featuring prominent figures such as Miss International Tourism Ambassador Phan Thi Mo, People's Artist Thanh Loan, People's Artist Mai Thuy, singers An Thu An, Xuan Hao, Dinh Trang, Thanh Le, Huy Quyet, Luu Quoc Vuong, Duong Duc, Linh Lanna, rapper Huy Raw, along with artists and actors from the Vietnam National Traditional Theatre; the Ninh Binh Provincial Traditional Arts Theatre; students from Dinh Tien Hoang High School, and soldiers from the 390th Division, 12th Army Corps…

The art program transported the audience back to the ancient capital – the place where the national hero Dinh Bo Linh quelled the rebellion of the 12 warlords, reunified the country, established the capital, declared himself emperor, named the country, changed the reign name, and affirmed the independence and self-reliance of Vietnam at that time. Building on the traditions of Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh – the place where Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang established his capital – with its unique cultural heritage and glorious history, Ninh Binh has made remarkable progress in all aspects over the years. Cultural, historical, and natural values are preserved, protected, and promoted, becoming an intrinsic resource for Ninh Binh to confidently move towards a bright future, aiming to become a centrally-governed city before 2030.

Source: https://vhtt.ninhbinh.gov.vn/vi/su-kien/khai-mac-le-hoi-hoa-lu-2026-2128.html