Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023 is underway

The festival, in its second edition, will be jointly organised by the Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee, the Architecture Magazine under the Vietnam Association of Architects, and the municipal Department of Culture and Sports with the support of UNESCO Office in Hanoi, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), international organizations, businesses, creators and artists.

Hanoi became an official member of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in 2019. Do Dinh Hong, Director of Hanoi's Department of Culture and Sports, said it is a suitable time to honor cultural values and heritage and promote cultural industries in the capital city.

Themed “Flow”, the event, which will run through November 26, will include seminars, exhibitions, and a series of creative spaces along a route connecting the Old Quarter, the pedestrian streets around Hoan Kiem Lake, Hang Dau water tower, Long Bien railway station, Long Bien bridge, Gia Lam railway station, and the Gia Lam train factory.

Among the over 20 exhibitions on major streets, workshops at Gia Lam train factory will become spaces for 16 exhibitions incorporating unique visual effects with outstanding art pieces.

In particular, the public will have an opportunity to see the first steam locomotive and also the iconic symbol of the Vietnamese railway industry. It was produced in around 1965 by engineers at the Gia Lam train factory with assistance of foreign experts. The festival will also feature nine music, fashion and graffiti shows, engaging local residents and tourists, especially young people.

Community activities will be organised on the mudflats on the Red River, besides a cycle tour and design contests, among others. There will be a fair showcasing diverse products in handicraft, creation, fashion, and communications. To give more experiences to visitors, organisers will offer technology activities such as three-dimensional painting and virtual tours.

Besides, workshops and seminars on creation to be held within the framework of the festival will offer a platform for creators and managers to seek ways to realise Hanoi’s desire for reform and creation.