Vietnam Leverages Traditional Arts for Tourism Growth

The ninth International Festival of Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts has fostered the martial spirit, strengthened national pride, promoted cultural exchanges and reinforced the aspiration to bring Vietnamese traditional martial arts to a wider international audience. Nguyen Nam Nhan, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports and head of the organising committee, said Vietnamese traditional martial arts embody the essence of martial arts excellence, fostering a philosophy of life that upholds the values of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty, while continuing to gain recognition among the international community. According to the organising committee, the four-day festival attracts nearly 1,000 martial artists from Vietnam and overseas, including 650 participants from domestic martial arts schools and clubs and 260 representatives from 16 delegations across nine countries, including Thailand and Laos. Inspired by the streetscapes and their architecture, traditional craft streets and daily life of ancient Thang Long, the programme presents images and historical artefacts of Hanoi’s historic '36 Streets' while offering hands-on workshops with traditional craftspeople. It unfolds the story of a Hanoi rich in history and culture, yet dynamic and constantly evolving amid modern life. Vietnamese teams are travelling to Japan in separate groups according to their competition schedules. Shooting, karate and sepak takraw are among the teams carrying high expectations after winning gold medals at ASIAD 19. The Vietnamese delegation is targeting at least four gold medals at ASIAD 20. Vietnamese film Quan Ky Nam (Ky Nam Inn) has won several awards at the 25th Imagine India International Film Festival (IIIFF) in Madrid, including Best Director. Just two minutes after falling behind, the Vietnam U23 team leveled the score at 1-1 with a header from Ngoc My. Vietnam’s presence at the event was highlighted through artistic performances and activities promoting Vietnamese tea and coffee. The song “Viet Nam trong toi la” (Vietnam in me) conveyed to Canadian audiences a message of national pride and the beauty of Vietnam and its people. The festival aims to promote the traditions of the VFF, affirm the value of the great national unity bloc, and strengthen ties between Vietnamese communities abroad and the homeland. It is also intended to foster patriotism and national pride, encourage the preservation of the Vietnamese language and cultural identity, and inspire overseas Vietnamese (OVs) to contribute to national development. Culture is now regarded as a spiritual foundation, an internal strength, a resource and a key driver of sustainable development, not merely a field to be preserved and upheld. Minh Ha Patmore, an artist from the Vietnam-Australia Cultural Exchange Organisation (VACEO), said overseas Vietnamese artists can serve as natural “cultural ambassadors”, connecting Vietnam with international friends through art. The festival unfolds through five tracks that together form a dynamic ecology of creative experiences. Organised by the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the festival, scheduled for September 25–27, aims to promote Hanoi as an attractive autumn destination, stimulate tourism demand and contribute to local economic growth. 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. 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. 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. 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. Copyright, VietnamPlus, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Editor-in-chief, Mr. Tran Tien Duan.