New cultural spaces
In December 2025, the Hai Phong City Convention and Performance Center was packed with audiences for the art program "Do Nhuan - Sound and Life." The program was not only a tribute to a great composer of Vietnamese revolutionary music but also a convincing "test" for a new, modern cultural institution in Hai Phong.
With its 1,500-seat auditorium and state-of-the-art sound and lighting system, the City Convention and Performance Center has made a positive impression on professionals, artists, and the general public who love the arts.
Viewed from above, the structure resembles a teardrop falling into the lake, creating concentric waves – a symbol rich in meaning representing convergence and dispersion. Located in the new urban area north of the Cấm River (Thủy Nguyên ward), the center, built on an area of 12.39 hectares, received an investment of over 2.3 trillion VND and comprises three above-ground floors and one basement floor. The system includes a large auditorium, multi-purpose halls, meeting rooms, and a harmoniously designed green landscape and central lake.
The City Convention and Performance Center not only meets the requirements for organizing large-scale events but also creates a friendly and modern cultural environment. The center's appearance not only adds a new architectural landmark to Hai Phong city but also clearly demonstrates the city's long-term vision for cultural development, considering culture as a pillar alongside socio -economic development.
Many tourists expressed surprise at the rapid and dramatic changes in the port city, especially the systematic investment in cultural spaces. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Xuan, a tourist from Hoang Mai ward (Hanoi), shared: “I was truly amazed. Not only are the buildings beautiful and modern, but the way the programs are organized and the spaces for enjoying art here are very professional. Hai Phong today is very different from what I imagined before; it is very dynamic and rich in identity.”
Along with the City Convention and Performance Center, in the early days of 2026, the port city also put into operation the Thong Nhat Cinema (Ho Chi Minh Boulevard, Le Thanh Nghi Ward). Built on the site of the old cinema from 1960, which was once a cultural memory for many generations of Hai Duong people, the new cinema has 4 floors, 3 screening rooms with a total capacity of over 350 seats.
The Thong Nhat Cinema is equipped with a modern technical system, meeting the increasingly high demands for film viewing, especially among young people. The reopening of the Thong Nhat Cinema, along with the Cong Nhan and Le Van Tam cinemas, effectively maintains its operation in serving the people and fulfilling the task of showing propaganda films in the city.
Enhancing the effectiveness of cultural institutions.
Hai Phong boasts a relatively complete and diverse system of cultural institutions, formed and nurtured over many historical periods. The City Theater – a centuries-old cultural symbol – is being effectively utilized through the "Lighting Up the City Theater" program, becoming a regular performance space that attracts a large audience.
The August Theatre handles professional performances and major political and cultural events; the Song Cam, Long Chau, and Tan Viet Theatres serve as rehearsal and staging venues for various art troupes.
The city is proactively restoring and promoting public art spaces such as Hang Kenh communal house, the bandstand, flower gardens, and parks, bringing art out of enclosed spaces and closer to urban life.
The entire city currently has a widespread network of cultural and sports facilities from the city level down to the grassroots, with over 90% of communes and wards having cultural and sports centers; most villages and residential areas have cultural houses or community activity points. These facilities play an important role in organizing mass cultural and artistic activities, disseminating policies and guidelines, and preserving local cultural identity.
The current requirement is to shift from "sufficient in quantity" to "strong in quality and high efficiency." The establishment of the City Convention and Performance Center should not operate in isolation, but rather become a "hub" leading and connecting with the City Theater, specialized theaters, and public spaces, creating a continuous and in-depth chain of cultural activities.
Regarding this direction, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Nguyen Minh Hung emphasized: Investing in cultural institutions is investing in human development and sustainable development. New cultural facilities must be utilized effectively and flexibly, becoming open spaces serving the people, while also serving as venues for major cultural and artistic events of regional and national significance.
According to musician Do Hong Quan, President of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations, the Hai Phong Convention and Performance Center should not be viewed merely as a theater, but should be oriented as a center for regular cultural and artistic activities. It needs to be a place where various domestic and international art forms converge, and it should be capable of hosting large-scale festivals and events.
It is crucial to have an open mechanism, attractiveness, and favorable conditions to encourage domestic and international art troupes and event organizers to consider Hai Phong as a regular destination. This reality requires the city to invest not only in infrastructure but also in human resources and management models: a professional operating team, flexible coordination mechanisms between state management agencies and art organizations, increased socialization, and the gradual formation of a healthy performing arts market.
The expectation is that, building upon its existing cultural infrastructure, Hai Phong will gradually develop a dynamic cultural ecosystem where historical structures and modern institutions complement each other; professional art is intertwined with mass movements; and culture is a constant presence in urban life. At that point, new cultural institutions will not only be architectural works but will truly become spiritual driving forces, accompanying the port city on its new path of development.
HAI HAUSource: https://baohaiphong.vn/ky-vong-tu-nhung-thiet-che-van-hoa-moi-cua-thanh-pho-cang-532690.html
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