The Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2024, themed “Creative Intersection,” officially commenced on the evening of November 9, 2024, at the August Revolution Square. Directed by the Hanoi People’s Committee and co-organized by the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports and the Architectural Journal in collaboration with various units, the Creative Design Festival is a key initiative of Hanoi in implementing UNESCO’s initiatives to build a Creative City. This successful opening, along with over 30,000 visitors experiencing the main route of the festival in the first two days, marks an impressive start for the creative community and those who love Hanoi.
Impressive Opening Ceremony and Creative Parade
Alongside the formal opening ceremony attended by numerous leaders and representatives from diplomatic agencies and international organizations, the festival’s opening program was grandly orchestrated, featuring unique and innovative artistic content. The ceremony, with the participation of a large number of artists, left a lasting impression on the public.
The Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2024’s opening ceremony creatively blended traditional and modern art forms, divided into two segments: the reenactment of “Long Van Khanh Hoi” and the creative parade named “Market Street Parade.” This offered a unique artistic experience, garnering wide interest, support, and applause from audiences and the people of the capital.
Creative Parade “Market Street Parade” Attracts a Large Crowd
Photo: Organizing Committee
The success of this year’s opening ceremony was marked by the vivid reenactment of the “Long Van Khanh Hoi” scene from ancient Thang Long, skillfully integrating the distinctive sounds of traditional stage arts into each piece. The event showcased groundbreaking, innovative, and diverse works that harmoniously embraced the differences across various art forms and fields. It sparked creative energy through its approach to heritage, spreading interdisciplinary inspiration to other creative communities.
The creative parade, named “Market Street Parade,” began at the August Revolution Square and ended at Hang Khay Intersection, attracting a large crowd of residents who joined in the parade and cheered for the horse procession. The event celebrated both tangible and intangible cultural values of Hanoi, making a strong visual impact on the audience through a variety of “visual language” movements, from symbols such as the flag, palanquins, and traditional costumes to the image of a nearly 5-meter-high horse with wings soaring in the air.
Over 30,000 Visitors at Seven Heritage Sites and Five Gardens
Although the festival officially opened on the evening of November 9, various exhibition spaces, community activities, and discussions started welcoming guests in the morning.
According to the organizers, the festival attracted more than 30,000 visitors to the main sites within the first two days. On the opening day, nearly 8,000 visitors attended, and on the second day (November 10), the number rose to nearly 25,000 in one day. These figures only estimate locations with entry gates, excluding open spaces like gardens. Overall, outdoor workshops, fairs, and play areas were bustling, and seminar rooms were nearly full.
Among the highlights, the “Indochina Sensation” exhibition at the University of Natural Sciences (Hanoi University) drew 10,000 visitors on November 10 alone, and over 8,000 people visited the “Children’s Palace – Nostalgia for the Future” exhibition the same day. Particularly, creative spaces and displays at the University of Natural Sciences, Hanoi University of General Sciences – 19 Le Thanh Tong Street, were considered “hot spots” with many people and tourists attending. From the morning, many visitors queued in the hallway to wait their turn to admire the exhibits and architectural beauty of the building, causing some sites to be overwhelmed by the crowd.
Other activities such as “Children’s Palace – Joyful Season” at the Children’s Palace, display spaces at 19/8 Garden, “Dong Pavilion” at Dien Hong Garden and the Government Guest House (North Government Office), “Snake Dragon Rising” Pavilion at the National Museum of History… attracted a large number of domestic and international tourists.
Additionally, heritage sites opening for the first time, such as the Government Guest House (North Government Office), saw some tour groups opting for “Creative Tours” guided by “professional companions” from travel agencies like Vietravel and the Tubudd platform, or at the Children’s Palace with the curatorial tour “Children’s Palace of Hanoi: Nostalgia for the Future,” offering visitors intriguing and previously untold stories about the heritage site.
Interactive creative community activities on the festival route drew numerous children, families, and young people to participate on November 10. Specifically, the interactive space “Memory Intersection” by VPBank in collaboration with the social enterprise Tohe, the on-ground drawing contest, the “Little Looms” workshop series, “Light Weaving,” the “I Love STEM” experience series at the Children’s Palace, workshops on “Sowing Cultural Art Seeds by Drawing Leaves Using Traditional Materials,” and “Planting Seeds – Making Crafts from Traditional Graphics” at Co Tan Garden, and the creative playground “FRONT ROW Style Station” on Trang Tien Street… were particularly appealing.
Moreover, artistic performances also drew crowds, such as the “Twenty-Nine” fashion show at the National Museum of History, circus and gymnastics art introductions, music on Trang Tien Street and in the gardens; the community show “Walking in the Green” at Dinh Tien Hoang Stage; and the performance “Sounds We See: Hanoi City Symphony”, etc.
Visitors to the exhibition “Indochina Sensation” at University of Hanoi
Photo: Phuong Bui
The seminar rooms hosting discussions on November 10 were nearly fully occupied, such as the talk “Coolie Never Cries: Thinking of the City as a Film Character” at the Children’s Palace, and the talkshow “Using Folk Culture in Creativity” at the National Museum of History… These highly specialized discussion programs attracted significant interest from many young people, both as speakers and audience members, sharing and exchanging ideas, showing that the festival’s mission to foster young creative spirits has truly spread.
To serve the public visiting and experiencing festival activities, the organizers mobilized nearly 300 enthusiastic and dynamic young volunteers who will be present at the festival’s activity points. Carefully selected and well-trained, these volunteers not only provide information but also act as creative ambassadors, ready to assist visitors with detailed information about festival events.
“Using Folk Culture in Creativity” Talkshow Draws Young Audience at the Vietnam National Museum of History
Photo: Phuong Bui
On the morning of November 10, Nguyen Van Phong, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, along with city leaders, visited the creative spaces at the festival, including the University of Natural Sciences (Hanoi University of General Sciences) and the Vietnam National Museum of History. After visiting the creative spaces, Nguyen Van Phong highly appreciated the efforts of the organizers and the creative community at the 2024 Creative Design Festival.
From now until the end of November 17, 2024, exhibitions, artistic programs, community activities… will continue to take place. Visiting hours are from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM every day. The Hanoi Children’s Palace and Trang Tien Street area will extend opening hours until 9:30 PM on the weekends of November 16 and 17.
Nguyen Tam