TPO – The culinary knowledge of preparing and enjoying Cha Ca La Vong has officially been inscribed on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The announcement ceremony took place on the evening of December 19, as part of the opening of the Hanoi Food and Culture Festival 2025 at Thong Nhat Park, Hanoi.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms. Le Thi Anh Mai, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, emphasized that the Hanoi Party Committee has issued a resolution on the development of cultural industries across the Capital. In this strategy, cuisine is identified as one of the key sectors, transforming heritage into a “cultural asset” and a sustainable resource for the growth of cultural industries. The Hanoi Food and Culture Festival, she noted, is a vivid demonstration of this policy in practice.
From the historic 36 streets of Hanoi to an expanded Capital enriched by the convergence of Xu Doai culture and many other regions, Hanoi’s cuisine has become increasingly diverse, both refined and standardized, yet rich in creativity. Hundreds of intangible cultural heritages related to cuisine have been identified and included in the city’s heritage inventory.
Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, Le Thi Anh Mai spoke at the ceremony.
From the historic 36 streets of Hanoi to an expanded Capital enriched by the convergence of Xu Doai culture and many other regions, Hanoi’s cuisine has become increasingly diverse, both refined and standardized, yet rich in creativity. Hundreds of intangible cultural heritages related to cuisine have been identified and included in the city’s heritage inventory.
Also during the opening ceremony on December 19, the Cha Ca La Vong Culinary Knowledge was officially recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage. The creative subject of the heritage is the Doan family, residing at 14 Hang Son Street (now 14 Cha Ca Street), Hoan Kiem Ward, who have preserved the traditional Cha Ca La Vong recipe through six generations.
Announcement of the decision recognizing the culinary knowledge of preparing and enjoying Cha Ca La Vong as an intangible cultural heritage
Over time, the knowledge of preparing and enjoying Cha Ca La Vong has become a distinctive symbol of Hanoi’s culinary culture. Today, more than 20 Cha Ca restaurants operate across Hanoi, contributing to the wider dissemination of this refined dish.
According to Ms. Le Thi Anh Mai, the inscription of Cha Ca La Vong as an intangible cultural heritage is not only a recognition of its historical, cultural, and scientific value, but also provides a legal foundation and mobilizes social resources to ensure the heritage is preserved, transmitted, and adapted to contemporary life. Traditional cuisine is thereby promoted and introduced more widely, helping improve community livelihoods and form unique cultural-tourism products.
Craft villages showcase the essence of local culinary traditions.
At the festival, leaders of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, together with Nguyen Xuan Bac, Director General of the Performing Arts Department, visited exhibition booths where the public could enjoy a wide range of Hanoi specialties such as steamed rice rolls, banh chung, chilled snail noodle soup, and sample Bat Trang ceremonial feasts, further highlighting the richness and vitality of Hanoi’s living culinary heritage.
According to https://tienphong.vn/chinh-thuc-cong-nhan-tri-thuc-che-bien-va-thuong-thuc-cha-ca-la-vong-la-di-san-van-hoa-phi-vat-the-post1806256.tpo?gidzl=eVibQ89x_4clvYDhZ6BvIwld9MwGCFnBu-8WQS9c_Kcou2LgdcF_IhBW9ct1P_nFvU0ZFpaLi-uLXNlzJG