Hanoi Autumn Festival 2026 to highlight capital’s seasonal charm

These days, Hang Ma street takes on a colorful new look, with shops lining both sides of the street and displaying star-shaped and carp lanterns, paper masks, traditional toys, figurines and other festive decorations. Now in its second year, the festival builds on the success of its inaugural edition in 2025 and aims to establish "Yen Tu – The Meditative Hues of Autumn" as Quang Ninh's signature cultural – tourism brand. The second Thang Long – Hanoi Festival 2026, themed “Heritage Flow,” kicked off on the night of September 11. It aims to bring traditional cultural values ​​closer to the public, expand international exchange, and contribute to the development of Hanoi's cultural industries. The festival unfolds through five tracks that together form a dynamic ecology of creative experiences. A festival of this scale can provide more performance opportunities while enabling Vietnamese and international musicians and artists from different generations to meet, learn and connect. It can also bring jazz closer to audiences who may regard it as difficult to appreciate or suited only to a niche audience. Vietnam has brought its distinctive lacquerware and to he (toy figurines) to BRICS Bazaar 2026 in India, which brings together outstanding handicrafts from 18 BRICS member and partner countries. After 10 editions, the Vietnam Festival in Kanagawa has become a familiar cultural gathering and an important bridge connecting the people of Vietnam and Japan, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu. Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Nguyen Huong Tra said Vietnam’s participation in the festival was an opportunity not only to demonstrate solidarity and friendship with international friends but also to promote cooperation with countries and political parties worldwide. Vietnam will field a delegation of nearly 500 members and is targeting at least four gold medals at the continent’s biggest multi-sport event. Across Vietnam, localities are expanding cultural spaces, promoting creativity and linking heritage with tourism, helping translate the spirit of the Politburo's Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW on cultural development into practice. The economic and cultural diplomacy and trade promotion event, themed “Viet Nam Day 2026: Discover Viet Nam – Connect Kyushu”, was held in Fukuoka city, Fukuoka Prefecture, over the weekend. During the meeting, Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina Ngo Minh Nguyet highly valued the significant contributions made by the ICAV over the past decades to strengthening people-to-people ties and cultural exchanges between Argentina and Vietnam. The Vietnamese Embassy and Vietnamese Association in Slovakia staged a friendly football tournament at Pekná Cesta Stadium to celebrate Vietnam’s National Day (September 2), with four teams representing the Vietnamese community across Slovakia. Speaking at the launch ceremony, Nguyen Thi Anh Thi, Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee and head of the contest’s organising committee, said the competition aims to showcase diverse perspectives from the foreign community, diplomatic missions, international organisations, press agencies, professional and amateur photographers, and visitors. Although President Ho Chi Minh and Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro never met, the two historic leaders shared a revolutionary vision centered on independence, freedom, happiness and equality for humanity, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Le Quang Long. The event aims to provide an international scientific forum for further research, exchanges and discussions on authenticity in world heritage conservation, in close connection with the outstanding universal value, integrity and cultural values of heritage elements. The centerpiece exhibition features more than 100 documents, materials and photos, some made public for the first time. It highlights President Ho Chi Minh’s life, career and revolutionary activities in China and his close ties with Chinese revolutionaries, intellectuals and people, underscoring the formation, cultivation and continuation of Vietnam-China friendship across periods. The Vietnamese delegation comprises 496 members, including athletes, coaches, experts, officials, doctors and medical staff. The teams will depart in several groups depending on their competition schedules, with the largest group expected to leave on September 16. The squad has set a target of winning at least four gold medals at ASIAD 20. Teaching traditional dance and songs to children growing up overseas has never been easy. Differences in living environments and ways of thinking, together with pronunciation influenced by the local language, mean that the children need more time to grasp rhythms and pronounce Vietnamese correctly. The increasing frequency of such visits indicates that Vietnam is receiving greater attention in the promotional and distribution strategies of Asian film projects. Over the two days, the festival featured a range of cultural, artistic and community activities, including a Japanese speech contest for Vietnamese participants, quizzes on Japanese law, culture and history, a Japanese karaoke contest, art performances and Yosakoi exchanges. This year’s festival showcased the waterways, boats and monkey bridges of the Mekong Delta, along with handicrafts made from coconut leaves, bringing the distinctive character of Vietnam’s southern region to life through decorations, interactive activities and artistic performances. On September 4-5 alone, Khanh Hoa welcomed around 95,000 visitors staying overnight, including approximately 38,000 international visitors, highlighting the event’s considerable appeal and the province’s image as a safe, attractive and welcoming destination. Copyright, VietnamPlus, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Editor-in-chief, Mr. Tran Tien Duan.