GDXH – The Hanoi Food and Culture Festival 2025, under the theme “Hanoi – A Culinary Journey Connecting Creativity,” will take place at Thong Nhat Park from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on December 19, and from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on December 20-21, 2025. Featuring many new and engaging elements, this year’s festival is expected to become a major year-end destination that honors Hanoi’s culinary and cultural excellence while stimulating tourism in the Capital.
Why the Hanoi Food and Culture Festival Is Held Annually
The Hanoi Food and Culture Festival is an annual event assigned by the Hanoi People’s Committee to the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, in coordination with relevant units. Notably, since 2022, the Hanoi Party Committee has issued Resolution No. 09-NQ/TU (dated February 22, 2022) on developing cultural industries in the Capital for the 2021-2025 period, with orientations toward 2030 and a vision to 2045. In this strategy, cuisine is identified as a key sector contributing to the growth of Hanoi’s cultural industries.
The Hanoi Food and Culture Festival 2025 carries the theme “Hanoi – A Culinary Journey Connecting Creativity.” Photo: LN
According to Le Thi Anh Mai, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, the fusion of the Old Quarter’s 36 streets with an expanded administrative Hanoi and the essence of Xu Doai culture has made Hanoi’s culture, and its cuisine in particular, rich and diverse. Since 2014, the city has conducted inventories of intangible cultural heritage, identifying hundreds of culinary heritages and including them in the city’s heritage list.
Inscribing culinary heritage on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage not only honors heritage values but also provides an effective mechanism for protection, promotion, and transformation of heritage into “assets,” sustainable resources for cultural industry development. It also recognizes artisans’ talents and helps improve local livelihoods.
What’s Special at the Hanoi Food and Culture Festival 2025
Official Recognition of Cha Ca La Vong Culinary Knowledge
At the opening ceremony, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will announce the decision to inscribe “Culinary Knowledge and Appreciation of Cha Ca La Vong (Hanoi)” on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the Doan family and hear the story of six generations who created and preserved this iconic dish, so deeply embedded in Hanoi’s identity that Hang Son Street eventually became known as Cha Ca Street.
Cha Ca La Vong – a signature Hanoi specialty.
Previously, Hanoi already had seven culinary heritages inscribed on the national list. Following inscription, these heritages have been widely promoted and developed into distinctive gifts and cultural products. Examples include Me Tri green rice flakes and Quang An lotus tea, often presented at international events; Phu Thuong sticky rice, sustaining a community of over 300 producer households; Thanh Tri steamed rice rolls, which have seen a revival with around 60 households now engaged in the craft; and Bat Trang ceremonial feasts, renowned for their elaborate techniques and unique dishes such as bamboo shoots cooked with cuttlefish and kohlrabi stir-fried with cuttlefish.
60 Culinary Spaces Featuring Hanoi and Regional Specialties
The festival features 60 culinary spaces showcasing Hanoi specialties and regional cuisines, allowing residents and visitors to savor a wide range of signature dishes while celebrating traditional culinary heritage and reinforcing the brand “Hanoi Cuisine” – refined, elegant, and distinctive.
Live demonstrations and performances at booths will accompany featured products such as Son Tay peanut candy, Phu Xuyen lotus-steamed chicken, Phuong Soat traditional cakes, Ba Ngoai snail noodle soup, Cat Loi preserved fruits, Ha Mo sesame congee, Uoc Le pork rolls, Quan Ganh glutinous rice cakes, family-recipe fish cakes, Ba Dinh husband-and-wife cakes, Xuan Khoi fermented pork, Rosier Fresh Tea & Coffee, and more.…
Ha Mo sesame congee – a traditional Hanoi specialty.
Hands-on heritage demonstrations include workshops on wrapping banh chung, preparing Bat Trang ceremonial feasts, scenting lotus tea in Tay Ho, making green rice flakes, cooking Phu Thuong sticky rice, cold snail noodle soup, preserved fruits, jams, and sesame congee.
Music Programs and Youth Band Exchanges
From 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on December 20, the Rock & Friends music program will feature bands such as Ngu Cung, Joon & Gio Ra Choi, PLUS + Band, and Audiciti. From 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on December 21, audiences can enjoy a youth band exchange program.
A Culturally Rich Weekend Destination
With the theme “Hanoi – A Culinary Journey Connecting Creativity,” the Hanoi Food and Culture Festival 2025 is set to become a vibrant weekend destination, linking traditional cuisine with contemporary creative trends. Through live demonstrations, hands-on practice, and exchanges with artisans, the festival helps preserve and pass down culinary skills and secrets, especially to younger generations, encouraging visitors to listen to the stories behind culinary heritage and experience food as culture.
By integrating creativity with tradition, the festival aims to generate new cultural products from cuisine, enhance the appeal of heritage, and transform Hanoi cuisine into a key driving force for the Capital’s cultural industries.
According to: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/le-hoi-van-hoa-am-thuc-ha-noi-nam-2025-tu-19-21-12-o-dau-co-gi-dac-biet 172251217091258867.htm?gidzl=VxIMGTar52vngP12romHB7IeaqFAVX4eFAsMH9We42fjhvD7n2qIAMsla42RAH4iEg-L4ZcGihLRtZKLAW