Hanoi Festival Honors the Symbol of Vietnamese Culture
The Hanoi Lotus Festival 2026 has opened in the scenic West Lake area, celebrating the lotus as a timeless symbol of Vietnamese culture while introducing a cultural experience that highlights the charm of the capital to domestic and international visitors.
Opened on the evening of June 26 at Ly Tu Trong Flower Garden in Tay Ho Ward, the three-day festival carries the theme “Sac Sen Ha Noi” (Colors of the Hanoi Lotus). Organized jointly by the Hanoi Department of Tourism and the Tay Ho Ward People’s Committee, the event celebrates lotus as a symbol of Vietnamese culture and promotes Hanoi as a distinctive destination for cultural tourism.
The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the Party, State and Hanoi authorities, along with representatives of diplomatic missions, international organizations and businesses, and artisans, artists, local residents and tourists.
The lotus has been long a symbol of purity, resilience and the enduring values of the Vietnamese people. For Hanoi, the flower is not only a gift of nature but a cultural symbol deeply woven into the West Lake landscape and the cuisine, arts and lifestyle of Hanoians.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Dang Huong Giang, Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, said the event reflects the city's commitment to positioning Hanoi as a safe, attractive and professional destination. It also showcases the capital to domestic and international visitors and highlights Hanoi's determination to develop distinctive cultural and historical tourism products.
According to Giang, promotion of traditional cultural values combined with the creativity of artisans, artists, businesses and a wider community will help make Hanoi a city worth visiting, living in, and experiencing.
Held from June 26 to 28, the festival takes place at three venues in Tay Ho ward - Ly Tu Trong Flower Garden, Tay Ho Creative Cultural Space and Lac Long Quan Flower Garden - and in the city’s 16 lotus-growing communes and wards.
Under the themes of “Lotus - Essence and Life,” “Lotus - Art and Creativity,” and “Lotus - Performance and Community,” the festival offers a diverse range of cultural experiences centered on the lotus in contemporary life.
At the "Lotus - Essence and Life" space, more than 30 lotus varieties from Hanoi and other localities are displayed, alongside handicrafts, OCOP products, fashion collections and creative artworks inspired by the lotus. Visitors can also explore lotus silk weaving, lotus-based cuisine and traditional lotus tea.
The “Lotus - Art and Creativity” space features calligraphy and artworks inspired by the lotus, and the “West Lake Lotus Moments” painting event involving around 500 children, including nearly 100 foreign participants. The event helps introduce the beauty of Vietnamese culture to friends around the world.
A highlight of the festival is the artistic parade “Lotus on the Streets,” to be held on June 27 around the West Lake area with participants in lotus-patterned ao dai creating a vibrant cultural atmosphere that celebrates the elegance of Vietnam’s traditional costume and the gentility of Hanoians.
At the opening ceremony, organizers announced the inscription of Quang An lotus tea scenting on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List and the recognition of West Lake as a tourist area. The recognition marks an important milestone, reinforcing West Lake’s cultural and tourism values and creating fresh momentum for the capital’s green, civilized, and sustainable tourism development.
With its diverse and engaging activities, the Hanoi Lotus Festival 2026 is expected to be a signature annual cultural-tourism event of Hanoi, which preserves traditional values, enhances the culture industry, and promotes an elegant, creative, and culturally rich Hanoi to visitors from around the world.
By Viet Cuong/VNP