This year’s festival brought together 12 community art troupes from provinces and cities including An Giang, Hanoi, Quang Ngai, Son La, Tay Ninh, Phu Tho, Da Nang, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Can Tho, Quang Ninh, and Vinh Long. Hanoi achieved an impressive second-place ranking overall with two A prizes and two B prizes, finishing just behind host province An Giang. The Hanoi program was praised for its clear message, strong expression of Thang Long-Hanoi’s cultural identity, and high artistic quality.
From November 15 to 19, the 2025 National Community Arts Festival took place in An Giang Province. The event was organized by the Department of Grassroots Culture, Family and Libraries (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), in coordination with relevant agencies and units.
For this year’s festival, the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports selected Lo Khe Hamlet, Thu Lam Commune, to represent the capital.
Performances by the Hanoi delegation at the festival
Lo Khe is known for its long-standing cultural and revolutionary traditions: President Ho Chi Minh visited the hamlet in 1964; it was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Prime Minister for its achievements in the “All People Unite to Build Cultural Life” movement; and the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong recognized its “Savings” movement.
The hamlet is also renowned for various forms of folk art, classical tuong, cheo, ca tru, and water puppetry, and is home to three national intangible cultural heritage elements.
Lo Khe has consistently excelled in the “All People Unite to Build Cultural Life” movement: it has held the “Cultural Hamlet” title for 22 consecutive years, upheld civilized lifestyle practices, and maintained a strong cultural infrastructure. Its socio-economic development is robust, its education sector leads the region, and its ca tru preservation efforts have earned numerous awards.
The Hanoi delegation’s program consisted of two competition sections. The first, “Journey of Radiance – Connecting Community Culture,” featured the skit “Lo Khe – Echoes of the Homeland,” showcasing cultural traditions, 25 years of progress in building cultural life, new development achievements, and digital transformation efforts such as creating a TikTok channel to promote local culture. The second section presented five traditional music and art performances representing Hanoi: the festival drum piece “Spirit of Thang Long,” the ca tru performance “Songs of West Lake,” the dance “Gate of the Communal House,” the dan day solo “Charm of Ha Thanh,” and the hat van piece “Hymn to Hanoi.” Each showcased distinctive artistic strengths aligned with the festival’s 2025 criteria.
Hanoi earned outstanding results with two A prizes for the skit “Journey of Radiance – Connecting Community Culture” and the drum performance “Spirit of Thang Long,” and two B prizes for “Songs of West Lake” (ca tru) and “Hymn to Hanoi” (hat van). The Organizing Committee also presented Certificates of Commendation from the Department of Grassroots Culture, Family and Libraries to two individuals for their contributions to festival coordination and organization.
With these achievements, the Hanoi delegation was recognized by the Organizing Committee and fellow troupes as one of the best-prepared groups, offering thoughtful content and effectively presenting the city’s cultural identity. The program helped promote the image of a friendly, tradition-rich, and creative capital to provinces and cities nationwide.
Mai Lan