Many activities and creative playgrounds organized in Hanoi have attracted the attention of a large audience, contributing to promoting the image of a cultured, hospitable, and highly creative capital.
Vibrant creative spaces and activities
Over the past two weeks, Hanoi’s public has had a meaningful new cultural rendezvous with the “Weekend Music” project, officially launched every Sunday afternoon at Nha Bat Giac – Ly Thai To Flower Garden. The project’s opening featured NSUT Quyen Van Minh and the Binh Minh Jazz Club, bringing the free-spirited sound of jazz to the historic Ho Guom area, blending modernity with nostalgia.
NSUT Quyen Van Minh brings jazz to the open space by Ho Guom.
The program demonstrated a serious investment in artistic quality, featuring renowned artists alongside faculty and students from professional art training institutions. Sharing about the “Weekend Music” project implemented by the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, NSUT Quyen Van Minh said that jazz has long been performed only in clubs and theaters. However, performing at Nha Bat Giac – Ly Thai To Flower Garden, in an open cultural space by Ho Guom, has brought this music genre closer to the public.
Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports Director Bach Lien Huong stated that in the spiritual life of people in Trang An, music has always played a role like a heartbeat, a bridge connecting the community. Choosing Nha Bat Giac as the venue reflects a “dual-value” approach: promoting the function of public spaces while turning architectural heritage into a lively backdrop for art.
“The core goal of the project is to establish a familiar cultural rendezvous every weekend, where music resonates in a sacred historical space, creating an experience that is both sophisticated and approachable for residents and visitors alike,” said Ms. Bach Lien Huong.
Recently, Ho Van space at the special national relic Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam has also become a popular destination as it hosts heritage experience activities, exhibitions, art performances, creative workshops, and community education programs.
The “Weekend Music” project, implemented by the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, offers a fresh experience for the public and visitors.
Most recently, during the past weekend (December 6-7), the workshop “Breath of the Craft Village – Experiencing Dong Ho Wood and Folk Painting” offered visitors an engaging experience. Both children and adults were introduced to materials and woodblock painting techniques and could personally print, color, and complete a painting.
Visitors also enjoyed a lively, approachable Te Tieu shadow puppet performance, rich in the cultural identity of My Duc, Hanoi. “Ho Van has truly become a place to nurture and promote Vietnam’s traditional values to both domestic and international visitors, especially the younger generation,” a visitor commented.
Promoting the image of a young, dynamic Hanoi
From December 19-21, a series of activities promoting Hanoi’s 2025-night tourism products under the theme “Hanoi Dep Sound” will take place at Hanoi Book Street 19/12, Cua Nam Ward, promising new cultural, musical, and culinary experiences for residents and visitors.
Inspired by the lyric “Hanoi dep sao!” in musician Nguyen Dinh Thi’s song “Nguoi Hanoi,” the theme “Hanoi Dep Sound” recreates Hanoi’s beauty through the characteristic sounds of urban life at night.
During the three-day program, residents and visitors will enjoy many exciting night tourism activities, including the “Hanoi Dep Sound” night bicycle tour; the “Hanoi Culinary Tourism Map” experience; and the Dinh Ty Book Fair with various reading and creative experience activities, including exhibitions, book presentations, and workshops.
Young people enthusiastically participate in experiencing and learning about Dong Ho painting.
Additionally, the program includes a Creative Space with interactive art performances; artistic decoration spaces combining visual and sound elements themed around Christmas and Hanoi; food cart, gift, and souvenir areas; musical instrument interaction at “Hanoi Dep Sound Studio”; and CD painting and decoration workshops at “Xuong Dia Dau An.”
Through this series of creative activities, the program aims to spread Hanoi’s cultural values, inspire love and pride among residents, and promote Hanoi as a safe, friendly, and attractive night tourism destination.
In 2019, Hanoi officially joined UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in the field of design. This is an important tool and commitment to realizing the capital’s cultural industry development goals. Since then, with the city’s attention, many creative spaces and playgrounds have emerged, offering fresh experiences to the public. Hanoi can be considered a hub of creative resources and home to the highest number of creative cultural spaces in the country.
According to Hanoi’s plan for activities related to participation in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in 2025, the city promotes connection activities and expands business cooperation between enterprises and social communities with domestic and international organizations and experts in design and creative industries, contributing to the city’s socio-economic development.
The vibrant COMPLEX 01 creative hub hosts many programs and creative activities.
According to Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports Director Bach Lien Huong, in recent years, the creative community and creative spaces in Hanoi have continuously strived for innovation, becoming highlights in design, culture, art, handicrafts, and creative startups. Not only do creative spaces incubate fresh ideas, but they also serve as bridges between tradition and modernity, and between local and international communities.
“It is through persistent activities and meaningful community projects that creative spaces emerge, making Hanoi’s cultural landscape increasingly diverse. Creative spaces are truly ‘innovation cores,’ strongly contributing to building a distinctive creative cultural identity for the capital, developing a creative economy, and promoting the image of a young, dynamic, modern Hanoi while retaining its rich traditions,” Ms. Bach Lien Huong observed.
Thien Tu
Expanding Creative Cultural Spaces in the Heart of the Capital