Every Hanoian is a channel to preserve and connect heritage.

With the first Thang Long - Hanoi Festival, the Organizing Committee hopes that: Each citizen will carry within themselves the soul of the history and culture of the thousand-year-old capital, each citizen is a "heritage" existing in daily life, both the past, the present and connecting the future.

Reporter had a conversation with Ms. Bach Lien Huong, Director of the Department of Culture and Hanoi Sports around Thang Long - Hanoi Festival 2025.

Ms. Bach Lien Huong, Director of Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports. Photo: HNM

The Thang Long – Hanoi Festival is being held for the first time on a large scale, covering many activities. So can you tell us the overall message of this year’s Festival that the organizers want to convey?

Thang Long - Hanoi Festival 2025 is organized by the Department of Culture and Sports under the direction of Hanoi City, with the consistent message of Heritage - Connection - Era, to honor the heritage value of Thang Long - Hanoi and arouse the creativity of the people of the Capital so that the heritage becomes a source of sustainable development in the new era. This festival, the Organizing Committee wants to convey the meaning of pride in the thousand-year heritage of Thang Long - Hanoi.

The Festival is also an opportunity to remember the origins, to pay tribute to the cultural, historical, architectural and artistic values ​​that have created the identity of the Capital. Connecting tradition and modernity, not only displaying and introducing heritage, but also being a place for artists, creators and young businesses to "retell" the heritage story in new forms - street art, light shows, fashion , digital technology... spreading the creative spirit of Hanoians, aiming to let each citizen become a "creative subject", participating, experiencing, contributing to reviving heritage with contemporary energy.

Through the Festival, we hope to affirm that heritage is not only a past to admire, but also a resource to develop tourism, creative economy and build the cultural brand of the Capital.

Program "Red River calls, Great Forest roars" at Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam. Photo: VM

So, the main goal of the Festival is to promote tourism, culture or aim at the socio-economic development of the capital, madam?

The Thang Long - Hanoi Festival is identified by the City as an annual, large-scale event. The Festival opens a journey of convergence of the elite, taking place from November 1 to November 16, 2025, expected to attract about 10,000 participants. The highlight is the Heritage Convergence at the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, displaying products of the three capitals: Thang Long, Hue, Hoa Lu along with representative provinces from the Central Highlands. Each sound, each dance is a part of the soul of Thang Long for thousands of years. The Festival honors intangible cultural heritages, especially prioritizing types recognized by UNESCO such as Ca Tru, Quan Ho, and Hat Then.

The event also organizes activities to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the UNESCO-recognized tug-of-war ritual and game. In each hand, the heritage is still alive through the colors, flavors and dedication of Hanoians. Visitors will be able to participate in activities to experience creatively designed handicrafts at Ho Van. In addition, the thematic exhibition of archaeological discoveries from the Banana Garden relic at the Hanoi Museum will connect the deep history of the capital with the public. From the past heritage, today's art finds new inspiration. The art program Eternal Moment at the Hanoi Museum by Swiss composer Dominique Barthassat with the participation of art troupes from many countries is a special cultural exchange activity. The Ao Dai fashion show on the heritage road at the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam honors the beauty of Vietnamese women. The audience also enjoys the program "Ngoc Son Mysterious Night" at Ngoc Son Temple. The puppetry festival is held in the flower garden area of ​​Ba Kieu Temple. Hanoi where the past and present blend - the event not only preserves heritage but also aims to develop unique products of the cultural industry.

Organizing the Festival for the first time , what do you think are the challenges? How to attract people?

The first Festival was organized with a dual goal: both honoring heritage and turning heritage into a creative resource; the event lasted for many days, bringing together many fields (culture, art, creativity, tourism...). Therefore, to implement the City's direction, the Department of Culture and Sports identified the coordination between departments, branches, districts and the creative community as a big problem. How to make the event both contemporary and honor the depth of thousands of years of culture is a big challenge. Not only organizing for attendees but also making Hanoians feel that "the Festival is theirs", young people "touch" the heritage and culture of their ancestors.

Image of the program rehearsal.

We have been pondering and coming up with solutions to attract people to the Thang Long - Hanoi Festival such as: The event not only takes place in the center but spreads out and spreads to many locations in Hanoi with rich activities such as Ao Dai performance (Temple of Literature, Thang Long Imperial Citadel), puppet show (Ba Kieu area), Eternal Moments Art Program...

We also bring the Festival closer to the public when visitors can use their senses to experience Hanoi cuisine, craft villages, and apply digital technology to heritage. It not only takes place in the central area, but also spreads to public spaces, walking streets, heritage areas, and residential areas. The organizers use digital media applications and interactive experiences such as social networks, virtual reality, and digital maps to make it easier for people to access and look up schedules, locations, and favorite activities. Integrating elements of cuisine, music, and street art - content that easily attracts, creating the feeling of a "Hanoi festival". Encourage the creative community, students, and young artists to participate so that the Festival becomes "a creative playground" rather than a series of performances.

Madam, so not only stopping at the Festival, what are the plans of the organizing committee to bring Hanoi's cultural heritage into schools for students in the capital?

Thang Long - Hanoi Festival is not only a cultural event, but also the beginning of a journey to bring heritage closer to the young generation. The organizers hope that heritage will not only be displayed, but also "retold" in the language of young people.

After the Festival, we will continue to coordinate with the Hanoi Department of Education and Training to implement heritage education programs in schools, through extracurricular activities, heritage competitions, or experiential learning hours at relics and museums. The goal is for students to not only learn about heritage, but also live with heritage, see the value of tradition in modern life, thereby forming pride and awareness of preserving the identity of Thang Long - Hanoi. At the same time, we will also build projects connecting artists, teachers and students to create learning content from heritage - perhaps through performing arts, short films, or digital technology applications.

This is also a way to make heritage live in students' minds naturally, closely and creatively.

Thank you very much!

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/moi-nguoi-dan-ha-noi-la-mot-kenh-gin-giu-ket-noi-di-san-722514.html