The annual cultural event for lovers of creativity and heritage exploration has opened at Gia Lam Train Factory, kicking off a series of attractive cultural activities in the capital.

Performance by artists from the Vietnam Tuong Theater at the opening ceremony of the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023. Photo: Khanh Huy/The Hanoi Times

Organized by the Hanoi People's Committee and the Vietnam Association of Architects Hanoi, the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023 is an annual event that aims to realize the initiatives and commitments made with UNESCO when Hanoi became a member of the Creative Cities Network.

The festival will last ten days, from November 17 to 26, at Gia Lam Train Factory and other venues across Hanoi with the theme "Flow."

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vu Thu Ha, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, pointed out that Thang Long - Hanoi's history is closely related to the flow of the Cai, also known as the Red River.

"In the future, Hanoi will continue to put the Red River at the center of its development. 'Flow' - the name of this year's creative design festival - denotes the inheritance and continuation of the past into modern life," she said.

"The festival is also expected to be a 'flow' that helps to 'awaken' Hanoi's unique cultural heritage and promote its great values," she added.

Ramla Khalidi, Acting United Nations Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, shared that the Hanoi Creative Design Festival is a typical example of the Vietnamese capital's success in realizing its vision of becoming a UNESCO City of Creativity.

Vu Thu Ha, Deputy Chairwoman of the Hanoi People's Committee, speaks at the ceremony.

Through public-private partnerships that help foster a highly dynamic and youth-oriented creative cultural industry, Hanoi has demonstrated that culture can be a driver of development when it can mobilize abundant youth energy to innovate and make the city a better place for all its citizens.

This year marks an important milestone - four years since Hanoi became the first Vietnamese city to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a Creative City for Design. Hanoi has undergone positive changes in recent years. Through artistic and creative works, the development of cultural resources in the city has brought new vitality to this metropolis.

With more than a thousand years of tradition, Hanoi has the potential to become a pioneer in all fields of development.

The presentation of ancient costumes at the opening ceremony of the festival. Photo courtesy of the organizer

The opening ceremony attracted the participation of 300 art troupes, creators, architects, craftsmen, especially many young artists in creative design.

The audience was delighted by symphonic music performances with Vietnamese folk influences by artists from the Vietnam Symphony Orchestra conducted by Dong Quang Vinh, violin recital by violinist Nguyen Thien Minh, and others.

Focusing on design and heritage, this year's festival emphasized solutions and new ways of thinking in design to breathe new life into heritage sites while inspiring and creating opportunities for young talents. The Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023 is an opportunity to advocate the value of "design", explore creative potential, and pioneer public-private partnerships to provide creative space and design solutions for the community based on Hanoi's heritage.

A Tuong theater performance at the event. Photo courtesy of the event organizer

The Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023 focuses on three main pillars, namely design, community, and creativity with more than 60 cultural activities, four works showcasing architecture and art activities, exhibitions, talk shows, a series of community events and fairs.

In addition, the symbolic success of the festival with the positive engagement of young people will inspire and drive sustainable urban development that takes into account cultural and creative factors in different cities in Vietnam and the world.

Young audiences to Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023. Photo courtesy of the event organiser

The Tu Luc steam locomotive is transformed into an exhibition space for the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023. Photo: Khanh Huy/The Hanoi Times

An exhibition space at the event.  Photo: Khanh Huy/The Hanoi Times