"Cultural Festival for Peace" marks Ha Noi’s 70th Liberation Day

The event is a highlight among a series of activities to celebrate the city's 70th Liberation Day (October 10, 1954-2024) and 25 years since the capital city gained UNESCO's recognition as "City for Peace" (July 16, 1999 - July 16, 2024).

In his opening remarks, Chairman of the Ha Noi Municipal People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh said the festival targets to spread the message about the values of culture, peace and the creative spirit of the people of Thang Long – Ha Noi throughout the ages and to honor the cultural heritage and identity for peace of the capital city.

The festival is the largest gathering of artists, artisans, and representatives from Hâ Noi's 30 districts. More than 8,000 people joined parades and performances of folk art forms, including intangible cultural heritages recognized by UNESCO and the nation, as well as traditional cultural features unique to the capital.

UN Resident Coordinator and Head of UN Organizations in Viet Nam Pauline Tamesis expressed her honor to represent the UNESCO Office in Viet Nam to participate in the celebration.

She hailed Ha Noi for having mobilized strong resources from the younger generation to engage in the process of innovation and strive to make the capital a more liveable city for all its residents. 

Pauline Tamesis affirmed that the UN in Viet Nam and UNESCO will continue to cooperate with Ha Noi in implementing numerous cooperative projects and initiatives since the UNESCO Office was officially set up in the capital city 25 years ago.

Featuring three main topics of Ha Noi on the day of victory, Ha Noi - the flow of heritage, and Ha Noi - City For Peace - Creative city, the festival recreates the historical milestones of the capital through the ages, introducing and performing tangible and intangible cultural heritage, festivals and typical craft villages of the capital.

One of the highlights of the festival is a performance reenacting the liberation troop's entering the capital city on October 10, 1954, to take over Ha Noi, drawing nearly 1,000 soldiers and 200 artists.

The festival is a chance to affirm the noble qualities and values of the time-honoured, heroic, peaceful and friendly Ha Noi and the Vietnamese nation as a whole, as well as Vietnamese people's aspirations for peace.

Below are pictures from the event: