Ten Heritage Sites in Hanoi’s Old Quarter Host a Series of Creative Experiences Throughout November
Throughout November 2026, ten heritage sites in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Ward are hosting a series of exhibitions, performances, cultural exchanges and hands-on experiences. Celebrating Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day and Vietnam Culture Day while also supporting the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2026, the programme brings a new dimension of cultural activities to the Old Quarter during this year’s creative season.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the programme takes place at ten locations across Hanoi’s Old Quarter and the Hoan Kiem Lake area. Its activities range from traditional Tuong theatre and handicrafts to tea culture, medicinal herbs, agarwood and the refined pastimes of Hanoians in earlier times.
A common feature of these activities is the shift from static displays towards interactive experiences. Visitors can watch artisans demonstrate their skills, learn about traditional techniques, take part in workshops or experience aspects of the creative process firsthand.
Hanoi’s Old Quarter hosts a range of activities celebrating the interconnected heritage of markets, streets and traditional crafts, bringing craftsmanship into dialogue with contemporary life and creativity. Source: Organising Committee.
From Tuong Theatre to the Traditional Crafts of Ke Cho
On 3 November, the Hanoi Old Quarter Cultural Exchange Centre at 50 Dao Duy Tu Street opens the programme “Tuong Then and Now: Behind the Golden Age, What Future for Traditional Theatre?”
The exhibition explores the history of Tuong, a traditional form of Vietnamese classical theatre, through costumes, stage props, make-up techniques, music and performance. The programme also includes live performances, exchanges with artists and hands-on creative activities.
On the same day, the Hoan Kiem Lake Cultural Information Centre at 2 Le Thai To Street presents “A Convergence of Craftsmanship”, tracing the journey of traditional crafts from rural villages to Thang Long–Ke Cho, Hanoi’s historic urban trading centre.
The exhibition features bamboo and rattan weaving from Phu Vinh, traditional embroidery and Bat Trang ceramics. Highlights include the installation “Ke Cho Wharf – A Boat Carrying the Essence of Craftsmanship” and an artwork comprising 200 fish figures. Visitors can also try pottery making, enjoy traditional tea and meet local artisans.
At Kim Ngan Communal House, 42–44 Hang Bac Street, “The Flow of a Hundred Crafts” brings together three traditional crafts: bronze casting from Dai Bai, horn carving from Do Hai and ceramics from Bat Trang. The exhibition combines handcrafted products and traditional tools with contemporary creative works, alongside live demonstrations and workshops.
Every Heritage Site Tells a Story of Craftsmanship
From 6 to 30 November, the Arts and Culture Centre at 22 Hang Buom Street presents a thematic exhibition on Son Dong craft village, focusing on statue making, woodcarving, traditional red lacquer and gilding techniques, and their contemporary applications.
A discussion entitled “The Essence of Son Dong Fine Craftsmanship”, scheduled for 14 November, will explore the village’s traditional skills, sculptural art in religious and spiritual architecture, and the digital documentation of cultural heritage.
At Ha Vi Communal House, 11 Hang Hom Street, the exhibition “A Few Words from Duong Lam Lacquerware” introduces the creative works of Meritorious Artisan Nguyen Tan Phat. Accompanying workshops offer visitors an opportunity to explore lacquer materials and try traditional eggshell inlay techniques.
The heritage site at 40 Lan Ong Street hosts “Medicinal Tea”, an experience combining traditional tea appreciation with medicinal plants, herbs and spices associated with the Old Quarter’s historic streets specialising in traditional medicine.
At the Old Quarter Heritage Information Centre, 28 Hang Buom Street, “Fragrant Notes of Heritage” showcases agarwood products. Yen Thai Communal House at 8 Tam Thuong Street focuses on weaving and silk traditions, while Tu Thi Communal House at 2 Yen Thai Street introduces the art of traditional embroidery.
Meanwhile, the Heritage House at 87 Ma May Street presents “Gentle Melodies in the Heart of the Old Quarter”, recreating the refined pastimes of Hanoians in the past through traditional dove cages, bonsai, teapots and Vietnamese ceramic tea utensils.
Transforming Heritage Sites into Living Cultural Spaces
This series of activities provides a practical expression of two major initiatives announced as part of the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2026: “Stories of Communal Houses in the Old Quarter” and “Crafts Across the Streets”.
The Festival’s earlier plans identified the Old Quarter as one of its principal activity areas, aiming to connect communal houses dedicated to craft founders, traditional craft streets, craft villages, local businesses and creative communities through exhibitions, performances, discussions and experiential activities.
The simultaneous activation of ten heritage sites throughout November demonstrates how this vision is being translated into action across the neighbourhood.
Rather than treating each heritage site as an isolated visitor attraction, the programme brings them together as a connected network of activities, allowing the public to explore different stories of craftsmanship, art and everyday life in the Old Quarter.
Notably, most activities go beyond the presentation of historical artefacts.
Visitors can meet artisans, observe traditional techniques, hear the stories behind different crafts, participate in hands-on activities or join guided cultural experiences. This approach helps shift heritage from something merely preserved to something actively used and experienced.
For Hanoi as a UNESCO Creative City, this represents a meaningful development.
Heritage derives value not only from its historical significance but can also serve as a foundation for contemporary creativity, community education and the development of new cultural experiences.
Throughout November, the ten heritage sites in the Old Quarter are therefore doing more than simply opening their doors.
They are being explored as points of connection between heritage, artisans, creative practitioners and the public, helping transform the Old Quarter into a more continuously active cultural environment rather than merely a place where memories of the past are preserved.
Sources
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, “Hanoi’s Old Quarter Hosts a Series of Activities Celebrating Vietnam Culture Day”, 31 October 2026.
- People’s Deputies Newspaper, “Exploring Traditional Crafts at Ten Heritage Sites in Hanoi”, 31 October 2026.
- Government News, coverage of the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2026 and the programmes “Stories of Communal Houses in the Old Quarter” and “Crafts Across the Streets”.
- https://hanoicreativecity.com/10-khong-gian-di-san-pho-co-ha-noi-cung-mo-chuoi-trai-nghiem-sang-tao-trong-thang-11/