Bringing traditional opera closer to the public

In Ho Chi Minh City, efforts to preserve and promote hat boi (Vietnamese classical opera) have focused on renewing approaches to audiences, particularly young people. Instead of limiting performances to traditional venues, the city’s Hat Boi Theatre and artists have expanded their activities to public spaces such as Nguyen Van Binh Book Street, Nguyen Hue pedestrian street and shopping malls, while strengthening their presence on digital platforms.

Performance programmes have also been tailored to different audiences. Historical excerpts are selected and dialogue adapted to make it more accessible, combined with exchanges and hands-on activities to help audiences understand makeup techniques, the significance of characters and props, and the distinctive performing language of hat boi.

The “School Stage” programme has been maintained at numerous schools, with content designed for different age groups and incorporating historical figures and stories relevant to educational curricula. Through performances combined with experiential activities, pupils and students can gain a more direct understanding of traditional arts.

Ho Chi Minh City identifies traditional art forms such as hat boi, cai luong (reformed opera) and puppetry as areas requiring greater investment and promotion to become distinctive cultural products associated with tourism. Combining preservation with digital technology and expanded performance spaces is expected to enhance the promotion of cultural heritage.

Developing tourism from cultural identity and festivals

Many other localities have also taken steps to uphold and bring into play their cultural heritage.

The northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang is tapping cultural values, landscapes and community identity to transform tourism an important economic sector.

The province plans to host the 12th edition of the Buckwheat Flower Festival, themed “Echoes of the Rocky Plateau”, which is set to open at Thanh Nien Square in Dong Van commune on November 6. Festival activities will include the 2026 Vietnam–China International Trade Fair and an exhibition of OCOP items and agricultural specialties. The programme will also feature the second “Spirit of the Stone” rock concert, traditional folk games across communes within the Dong Van Karst Plateau UNESCO Global Geopark, along with sports competitions and cultural performances.

To prepare for the festival, provincial authorities have instructed localities to implement tasks according to the approved plan and cultivate around 400ha of buckwheat flowers, ensuring they bloom during the opening period at major tourist destinations.

Tuyen Quang is turning its cultural heritage into an economic resource. Since the beginning of 2026, the province has welcomed nearly 2.1 million visitors, including over 406,000 international arrivals, and recorded total tourism spending exceeding 5.8 trillion VND (nearly 222 million USD). Community-based tourism models in Lo Lo Chai, Lam Binh and Hoang Su Phi have proven effective by combining cultural preservation with experiential tourism products. Meanwhile, 357 OCOP items rated three stars or higher have helped increase the economic value of local culture.

In central Lam Dong province, the recent 2026 Phan Thiet Whale Worship Festival was among the notable activities aimed at preserving and promoting cultural heritage in connection with local tourism and economic development. Its traditional rituals and a series of cultural activities helped to not only preserve the identity of fishing communities but also popularise the image of coastal culture and attract domestic and foreign visitors.

A highlight was the lantern-floating ceremony on the Ca Ty River, where hundreds of lanterns were released, conveying wishes for peace and prosperity, favourable weather, safe voyages for fishermen and bumper catches. The festival was also accompanied by a wide range of cultural and artistic activities, folk games, exhibitions, and displays of OCOP and other local specialty products.

These activities have enriched tourism offerings, created more experiences for visitors and opened up opportunities to promote local farm produce, specialties and cultural products.

Such models demonstrate how Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW is being effectively translated into practice, with culture gradually becoming an internal resource for socio-economic development and local brand enhancement./.