Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra has called for people-centred activities for the inaugural Vietnam Culture Day in 2026, underscoring culture’s role in driving fast and sustainable national development.

Preserving cultural identity, nurturing national pride and promoting heritage values are becoming key priorities in cultural development. Over the past week, localities across Vietnam have organised a range of artistic, sporting and cultural promotion activities, alongside efforts to preserve historical sites, helping spread the spirit of Politburo Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW and turn cultural values into a resource for national development in a new era.

For 20 years, Professor and guitarist Dang Ngoc Long, director of Berlin-Gesundbrunnen Music School in Germany, has used the Berlin International Guitar Competition and Festival to showcase Vietnamese culture through music. He now hopes to bring the event to Hanoi.

Vietnam has ranked 10th among the world’s 20 most favourite countries in 2026, with 92.99 points by the the renowned US travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) reported on October 8.

Fireworks are set to light up the skies over Hanoi’s West Lake and Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake on October 10 as the capital city celebrates the 72nd anniversary of its Liberation Day.

Vietnam’s signature theatre forms, from water puppetry, cheo (traditional opera), tuong (classical drama) and cai luong (reformed opera) to spoken drama and contemporary dance, will be showcased in Paris from October 24-31 as part of the Vietnamese Theatre Week, themed “Vietnam en Scène” (Portrait of Vietnam).

More than 200 delegates are expected to attend a national scientific conference in Hanoi on October 10 to discuss ways to promote Vietnamese cultural values as an important driving force for national development in the new era, a press briefing heard on October 5.

The Vietnam-Korea Cultural Day 2026 was held in the Phu Quoc Special Zone, An Giang province, on October 3 to celebrate the 34th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Republic of Korea (1992-2026).

The Vietnamese Consulate General in Vladivostok in coordination with the city authorities, held “Vietnam Day in Russia’s Far East 2026” on October 3, bringing Vietnamese cultural, economic and tourism highlights to local residents and international visitors.

Vietnam has made continuous contributions to global cultural agenda, UNESCO Representative to Vietnam Jonathan Wallace Baker told the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the country’s successful organisation of the Asia-Pacific Dialogue on Heritage and Authenticity.

As part of the second Cultures of the World Festival in Hanoi 2026, the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in coordination with the festival organising committee, on October 2 hosted an international delegation on a tour of the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Doai Phuong commune.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam has stressed that people’s health and physical fitness are part of national strength, with physical education and sports playing a vital role in building that foundation.

The second Cultures of the World Festival in Hanoi 2026 opened on October 1 at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel under the theme “Converging Heritage – Shaping the Future.”

Luu Diem Quynh secured a bronze medal for Vietnam in the women's 75kg boxing event at the 2026 Asian Games (ASIAD 2026) after losing 0-5 to China's Bao Ziyi in the semifinals on September 30.

Ta Xua in Vietnam’s northwestern province of Son La was named Asia’s leading emerging tourism destination for 2026 at the 2026 World Travel Awards (WTA) ceremony for Asia, Oceania and Indian Ocean held recently in the Maldives.

Vietnamese tea and cuisine were promoted in Greece through a series of cultural and promotional activities held in Athens and Piraeus.

Vietnam topped the medal table at the fifth Southeast Asian Pencak Silat Championships 2026, which concluded in Ho Chi Minh City on September 29.

Thang Long-Hanoi cultural symbols were showcased in 14 groups taking part in a Mid-Autumn lantern parade around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi on September 25.

The southern province of An Giang welcomed more than 23.4 million visitors in the first nine months of 2026, reaching 93.9% of its full-year target, including more than 1.94 million international arrivals, or 91.5% of the target.

The combination of contemporary needs and cultural heritage is giving rise to products with a distinct Vietnamese identity, as local brands draw on traditional materials, craftsmanship and cultural stories to develop fashion, furniture and consumer goods.