Festival celebrates 70 years of Hà Nội's liberation

Photo shows the Temple of Literature by night. The Culture Festival for Peace 2024 will promote Hà Nội and it's heritage. VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI - Tens of thousands of people, both local and from oversees, are expected to participate in the Cultural Festival for Peace in the capital city in October.

The festival is among a series of cultural events celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Liberation Day of Hà Nội, on October 10.

The one-day festival is scheduled to take place at Hoàn Kiếm District, across three arenas including shows introducing and promoting the beauty and richness of Thăng Long Citadel.

Performances and parades will include drum performances along with dances with flags and dragon and kylin dances.

An introduction of Hà Nội’s cultural heritage, recognised by UNESCO, will highlight sites and cultural attractions including the Thăng Long Citadel, the Literature Temple, ca trù (ceremonial singing) and Gióng Festival.

Thousands people including artisans, artists and soldiers will fill every space in Hà Nội and join in the special parade. The performance will feature thousands of residents with flags and flowers turning out onto streets to mark the anniversary when they welcomed home the Vietnamese People’s Army to take over the capital from the French occupation forces on October 10, 1954.

The intangible cultural heritages such as kéo co (tug of war), rice cooking contest and Mo Mường religions will be recreated at the festival.

Typical culinary culture and traditional craft villages of Hà Nội will also be featured. The festival goers will have chance to enjoy lotus-scented tea and Hà Nội phở, which have been listed as national intangible culture heritage recently by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

With its long history and closely association with the famous West Lake, the traditional craft of making lotus-scented tea in Quảng An Ward, Tây Hồ District, has become a symbol of Hà Nội's tea culture.

Vietnamese people eat phở all the time for breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper. It’s variable and always satisfying even though there are only two choices when it comes to dish, chicken or beef.

Phở with beef has a stronger flavour from cow bones, while that with chicken boasts a gentler taste and may come with fatty or lean chicken, each has its own merits.

Other Hà Nội specialities such as giò chả Ước Lễ (Ước Lễ pork sausage), Phú Thượng xôi (sticky rice) and cốm Làng Vòng (Làng Vòng green sticky rice) will be introduced at the festival.

The festival is also a chance to celebrate the 1014th anniversary of King Lý Thái Tổ’s decision to move his capital from Hoa Lư (Ninh Bình) to Thăng Long, now Hà Nội.

Events during the festival will be held on the main stage at the King Lý Thái Tổ Monument site and smaller stages at Bà Kiệu Temple Garden, Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục Square, and the Lê Thái Tổ - Bà Triệu - Tràng Thi - Hàng Khay intersection.