With the aim of celebrating and preserving the beauty and cultural heritage of Thang Long-Hanoi, the land of Tay Ho, and the lotus - a flower embodying Vietnam's resilience and spirit, the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with the Tay Ho District People’s Committee and the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations, hosted the Hanoi Lotus Festival.
With the aim of celebrating and preserving the beauty and cultural heritage of Thang Long-Hanoi, the land of Tay Ho, and the lotus - a flower embodying Vietnam's resilience and spirit, the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with the Tay Ho District People’s Committee and the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations, hosted the Hanoi Lotus Festival.
The festival showcased the unique artistry of lotus tea crafting and highlighted the distinctive role of the lotus in Vietnamese culture and daily life. This celebration not only honored a national symbol but also served as a tribute to the enduring cultural identity and traditions deeply rooted in the heart of Hanoi. With meticulous planning and grand scale, the Hanoi Lotus Festival is not only a national event but also promises to become a unique international celebration.
The Lotus Festival took place at the Tay Ho Creative Cultural Space in Hanoi.
In his opening speech, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, Nguyen Manh Quyen, emphasized that lotus cultivation has been expanding in many suburban districts of Hanoi, integrated with eco-tourism and as a premium material for textiles, fragrances, and starch production. The city is focusing on developing the lotus plant as part of its strategy to restructure the agricultural sector, aligned with urban agriculture and tourism development. This initiative is a key aspect of transforming crop and livestock structures to align with urbanization and the construction of sustainable ecological urban areas.
Organized by the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Tay Ho District People’s Committee, and the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations, the Hanoi Lotus Festival took place at the Tay Ho Creative Cultural Space. The event celebrated the unique craft of lotus tea making and highlighted the distinctive role of the lotus in Vietnamese cultural life.
The Hanoi Lotus Festival serves as a trade promotion activity to strengthen production and consumption linkages, foster exchanges of expertise on lotus-based products between Hanoi and provinces across the country. It is also an opportunity to promote tourism, awaken the potential of local OCOP (One Commune, One Product) initiatives, and attract visitors to Hanoi, thereby boosting the local economy and tourism.
The festival space also showcases the tea-drinking culture of Hanoians.
The festival features numerous vibrant activities, including the semi-realistic art performance "The Story of the Lotus", the award ceremony for the photo contest "Beauty in
Ao Dai and Lotus", a seminar on "Preserving and Developing Vietnamese Lotus", and the musical night "Trinh Cong Son and Friends".
Two national records were set during the festival, including the largest number of participants cycling in the "Green Journey of Lotus", with 7,000 participants and rhe largest gathering of people wearing traditional Ao dai with lotus motifs, with 1,000 participants.
The festival also featured a unique exhibition space highlighting lotus-themed products. A standout was a glass portrait of President Ho Chi Minh, created from nearly 2,000 photos of lotus flowers from across Vietnam, and a massive artwork titled "Thang Long Mystical Lotus" crafted from over 20,000 lotus blooms.
Additionally, the festival marked the inauguration of the OCOP Product Introduction and Promotion Center in Tay Ho District, showcasing OCOP products linked to the cultures of northern mountainous provinces. More than 100 booths from 33 provinces participated in the event.
Several lotus-themed artworks were displayed at the international photo exhibition "Lotus – The Eternal Beauty."
Chargé d'Affaires of the Lao Embassy in Vietnam Latana Siharaj remarked, "The Hanoi Lotus Festival not only allows us to gain a deeper understanding of Vietnamese culture and traditions but also creates opportunities to share values and experiences with other nations."
The Tay Ho Creative Cultural Space attracted numerous visitors to the Hanoi Lotus Festival.
Story: Nguyen Tuoi - Photos: Khanh Long/VNP