Ha Noi set to become a regional and global creative hub

Opening a creative path for millennial heritage

Ha Noi’s cultural treasure is immensely rich, with nearly 6,000 relics, 1,793 intangible cultural heritages, 1,300 craft villages, and over 1,500 traditional festivals. The capital is a convergence of national cultural quintessence, creating a multicoloured Ha Noi, rich in cultural depth and with unique appeal.

In June 2020, to adapt after the Covid-19 pandemic, the Management Board of Hoa Lo Prison relic launched the tour “Sacred Night – Shining Vietnamese Spirit.” This was the first night tour in Ha Noi to be held at a historical site. From its initial version, the Management Board has since developed three different versions to serve domestic and international visitors. According to Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, Head of the Management Board of Hoa Lo Prison, the night tour is not only a historical story but also opens up a fascinating creative dimension by using elements of theatricalisation, experiential activities, and cuisine.

The spread of the “Sacred Night” tour has “ignited” creative activities in the capital. A host of relics and destinations rich in millennial cultural sediment have been “revitalised” with new tourism products. The Thang Long Imperial Citadel heritage site has introduced the “Decoding Thang Long Citadel” tour, combining historical narratives of imperial palaces with decoding games related to national history and culture. The Temple of Literature, a special national relic, pioneered the integration of 3D mapping technology with the “Essence of Learning” tour. Ngoc Son Temple impressed with the “Ngoc Son – Mysterious Night” tour presented in semi-live-action form. Recently, the “Tran Vu Bell Sound” night tour at Quan Thanh Temple highlighted spiritual culture and traditional craft village heritage.

Ha Noi has more than 20 attractive night tours, offering fresh experiences to residents and visitors. According to Dr Nguyen Viet Chuc, Vice Chairman of the Advisory Council on Culture and Society under the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, in just five years from 2020 to 2025, Ha Noi has achieved significant results in cultural development. Many creative tourism and cultural products have not only enriched the spiritual life of the people but also promoted the image of a dynamic, innovative capital, constantly renewing itself in line with the principle of culture as a driver of socio-economic development.

Harnessing new creative resources

On October 30, 2019, Ha Noi became the first city in Viet Nam to officially join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. According to Associate Professor Dr Bui Hoai Son, Standing Member of the National Assembly’s Committee for Culture and Society, this not only helps Ha Noi promote its culture but also fosters creative industries, thereby creating opportunities for international cooperation and enhancing the city’s global standing.

Since being recognised by UNESCO as a “Creative City,” Ha Noi has invested heavily in building, expanding, and developing visionary creative spaces, aiming to become the nation’s, region’s, and world’s creative hub. Since 2020, the city has continuously organised and encouraged private organisations to develop appealing creative spaces, from Creative Design Festivals showcasing the explosion of ideas and practices from the young creative community to the expansion of large-scale, professionally invested cultural and entertainment events. A series of major art and entertainment programmes such as the Monsoon Music Festival, the shows “Anh trai say hi,” “Anh trai vuot ngan chong gai,” and more recently, the “national concerts” during the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2, have attracted millions.

According to the Ha Noi Department of Culture and Sports, the city now boasts hundreds of new, engaging creative spaces. In addition to central pedestrian streets, there are many private creative spaces with a contemporary breath such as Heritage Space, Manzi, and Ha Noi Creative City. Assessing Ha Noi’s potential to become a regional creative hub, director Hoang Cong Cuong stated that the city now possesses new large-scale, internationally standard cultural institutions such as Ho Guom Opera House and the National Exhibition and Convention Centre. In the near future, Ha Noi will also attract investment to expand creative spaces around West Lake and the Red River. These foundations enable Ha Noi to leverage new creative resources, host major events, and rise as a creative hub of stature.

Making culture a true pillar of the capital’s development

In the capital’s development strategy, Ha Noi’s leaders have consistently affirmed that cultural and human development are top priorities, considering them as vital pillars for the city’s future, making it a creative, civilised, and modern destination of the nation and the region.

At the seminar “80 Years of Memory – Historic Autumn” on August 22, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Ha Noi Party Committee Nguyen Van Phong stressed that among the pillars of development, Ha Noi always places culture as the key factor, guiding other sectors towards the aspiration of asserting its place in Asia’s urban system and aiming to become a global city. In other words, Ha Noi’s culture and people are not only the foundation but also the development goal of the city.

According to Associate Professor Dr Bui Hoai Son, Ha Noi has shown great concern in developing culture and building new citizens for the rising era. Evidence includes the promulgation of Programme 06-CTr/TU by the Ha Noi Party Committee on cultural development, improving human resources, and building elegant, civilised Hanoians for the 2021–2025 period; Resolution 09-NQ/TU on developing cultural industries in the capital for 2021–2025, orientation to 2030, vision to 2045. Recently, the city adopted Resolution 24/2025/NQ-HDND on the organisation and operation of cultural industry centres in Ha Noi, and Resolution 25/2025/NQ-HDND on cultural and commercial development zones in the city, with various mechanisms, policies, and incentives allowing the expansion of creative spaces along the Red River, as well as support for businesses and creative communities. These decisions are considered breakthroughs, providing a solid legal foundation for Ha Noi to foster cultural industries, support creative activities, train high-quality human resources, and expand the business ecosystem in this sector. Associate Professor Dr Bui Hoai Son suggested that Ha Noi should promptly implement these resolutions and provide specific guidelines to attract investment resources in culture, especially from creative forces at home and abroad.

It is clear that Ha Noi’s innovations and creativity in the cultural field not only promote millennial traditional values but also infuse them with the spirit of the times. The capital is affirming its pioneering role, befitting its stature as a thousand-year-old city, while striving to become a creative hub of the region and the world.

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