Vietnam's Traditional Martial Arts Festival Fosters Cultural Exchange and National Pride

The 9th 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. 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. The 7th Vovinam World Championship was held in Paris from July 22 to 25, bringing together martial arts masters, athletes and delegates from many countries. Museums in Ho Chi Minh City are embracing digital innovation and cultural activities to showcase its rich heritage, helping boost cultural tourism, stimulate the night-time economy and attract a growing number of domestic and international visitors. Securing all three points, coach Kim Sang-sik and his squad finished atop Group A with 10 points (three wins, one draw). The Pho Cultural Roadshow Europe 2026 travelled through six countries – the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and Germany – with seven stops, bringing together eight Vietnamese culinary artisans, chefs and food experts. With the designation in place, Bonghwa will carry out eight specialised projects worth a combined 347.6 billion KRW (245.1 million USD) from 2026 to 2030 – among them the K-Vietnam Valley itself, tourism development around Changpyeong Reservoir, rental smart farms, and a Baekdudaegan healing ‘pet village.’ ASIAD 2026 is scheduled to take place in Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, with the women’s tournament running slightly earlier, from September 14 to October 2. My Quang is not only a signature dish of the Quang region but also reflects the history, culture and daily life of communities in central Vietnam. With its diverse ingredients, preparation methods and distinctive flavours, the noodle soup has become one of Vietnam's best-known culinary specialities, helping strengthen Da Nang's position on the culinary tourism map. Nguyen Tran Thanh Tao produced a dramatic comeback to defeat legendary Turkish cueist Semih Sayginer and claim the title in stage 3 of the PBA-LPBA Championship 2026/27 in Goyang, the Republic of Korea on August 3. 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. With its millennia-old heritage and growing integration of preservation and innovation, Van Phuc silk weaving village is poised to become a distinctive cultural destination, helping promote Hanoi’s sustainable cultural tourism and bring the quintessence of Vietnamese silk weaving closer to domestic and international visitors. On architectural management, the draft Law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on Architecture clarifies the concept of “national cultural identity in architecture”, tying design to the preservation and promotion of regional heritage. It pushes architecture that mirrors local identity and fits each locality’s natural, historical and social conditions, while setting criteria to identify, assess and protect architecturally valuable buildings as a distinct form of cultural heritage. Now in its 10th edition since its debut in 2014, the festival has become one of Vietnam's leading international classical guitar events. ASEAN Football said Vietnam delivered a performance “worthy of the defending champions”, staying composed, well-organised and effective despite the furnace-like atmosphere stoked by roughly 30,000 home fans. The emphatic away win at Pakansari Stadium lifted Vietnam to the top of Group A with seven points from three matches. In the Hanoi Capital Master Plan with a 100-year vision, culture is identified as the core value underpinning the entire plan, serving as an endogenous resource, a source of soft power, and a driving force for the capital city's sustainable development strategy. Vo An Nguyen, who leads the committee and serves as CEO of Future Star World, called the pageant an international contest built around heritage, where beauty is measured alongside knowledge, community responsibility and the preservation of each country's cultural treasures. Vietnam currently ranks 16th among the world's top 100 cuisines in the latest TasteAtlas rankings, up three places from 2024 and six from 2023. Meanwhile, Travel + Leisure has described Vietnamese cuisine as "exceptional" and listed Vietnam among the leading destinations for travellers seeking cultural experiences through food. Competitors will race in the 42.195 km marathon, 21.0975 km half marathon, 10 km and 5 km events. Starting and finishing at the Quang Ninh Planning, Fair and Exhibition Palace, the course will once again feature fully closed roads along Ha Long Bay, a route named by Runner's World UK among the world's 50 most scenic running courses. According to the organising committee, throughout August, the Hue Sports Festival will feature 19 sporting events alongside other Autumn Festival activities. Through these tiny pieces of paper, veteran philatelist Tran Huu Hue tells students about President Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam's national heroes, and places across the country and around the world. Experts believe that with coordinated reforms in institutions, technology, human resources and infrastructure, Vietnam can transform its cultural heritage into a powerful engine for innovation, economic growth and national soft power in the new era. Copyright, VietnamPlus, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Editor-in-chief, Mr. Tran Tien Duan.