Ha Long city gears up for festival-filled holidays
Ahead of the main celebration, the city will host various events starting April 29, including temple festivals, a lion dance showcase, culinary events such as the Beer and Grilled Squid Festival, and the 2025 Quang Ninh OCOP Summer Fair.
Ha Long Bay has been listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site on three occasions. (Photo: VNA)
Quang Ninh (VNA) – A vibrant li🃏ne-up of festi꧟vals and cultural events is set to take place in Ha Long city, the northern province of Quang Ninh, during the upcoming April 30 – May 1 public holidays, as part of efforts to attract visitors and strengthen the city’s tourism brand.
According to Nguyen Ngoc Son, Vice Chairman of the Ha Long People’s Committee, the city is home to a rich and unique cultural and historical heritage, with 96 recognised sites. Notably, Ha Long Bay has been listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site on three occasions. The city is currently home to 13 traditional and modern festivals, several of which have been restored and are actively preserved and celebrated.
The highlight of this holiday season is Ha Long Carnaval 2025, scheduled for May 1 along Vo Nguyen Giap street and at Sun Carnaval Square in Bai Chay ward. This large-scale provincial event, held annually, has become a major draw for locals and tourists alike. Additional activities will include fashion shows, interactive booths, and lively street performances running throughout the holiday period.
Ahead of the main celebration, the city will host various events starting April 29, including temple festivals, a lion dance showcase, culinary events such as the Beer and Grilled Squid Festival, and the 2025 Quang Ninh OCOP Summer Fair.
Looking to the future, Ha Long is working to revive a number of traditional festivals and expand existing ones, while preparing scientific dossiers to seek national heritage recognition for key cultural events as part of its vision to become a true city of festivals.
Through these efforts, Ha Long aims to further boost its tourism sector by offering high-quality, distinctive experiences that attract more visitors and contribute significantly to local economic growth. The city has set a target of welcoming 20 million tourists to Quang Ninh in 2025./.
Themed "Connecting heritage, leading the way to shine", the festival will feature a grand opening ceremony, DJ performances, and a high-altitude fireworks display.
During their one-day stay, 1,700 tourists from Japan will be divided into groups for excursions to Ha Long Bay, the city itself, and possibly nearby Hai Phong or rural villages.
By integrating culture, tourism, and environmental action, Ha Long Climate 2025 positions Ha Long Bay as a leading destination not just for its natural beauty but for global sustainability efforts.
This is the first time since the adoption of the Convention that a country has served two consecutive terms on the Committee. The outcome shows the trust and recognition that member states have given Vietnam for its efforts and achievements in carrying out and promoting the Convention, as well as for its active role, strong standing, and growing credibility at UNESCO.
Quang Duc pottery is known for its wide range of forms, including wine bottles, jars, lime pots, vases, plant pots, incense burners and candle stands. Decorative motifs are equally rich, featuring mythical creatures, pastoral scenes, floral patterns, deer, peacocks, bats and more.
Vietnam’s cinematic appeal lies in its diverse settings, from terraced mountains and limestone karsts to bustling markets and ancient towns. Its mix of ethnic vibes, buzzing street life, and old traditions gives directors a goldmine for storytelling.
The Vietnamese team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where they will train until July 14 before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN U23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29. Vietnam will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22 in the group stage.
The exhibition showcases more than 100 valuable documents and artifacts, divided into two main parts: “Journalist Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh” and “President Ho Chi Minh – Founder and Mentor of Vietnamese Revolutionary Press.” This is an opportunity to recall the late leader’s journalism journey and affirm his exceptional role in founding and guiding the revolutionary press in Vietnam.
For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
