On January 3, the Vietnam Cultural Festival 2026 themed “A Thousand Vietnamese Strokes on Fairy Land” took place at Suoi Tien Theme Park in HCMC, attracting quite a few locals and visitors. One of the highlights of the festival was the calligraphy performance with the participation of 1,000 calligraphers coming from all parts of the country.
According to baotintuc.vn, thousands of brush strokes created a vibrant cultural picture reflecting the depth of Vietnamese script, the aspiration for happiness, the spirit of learning and the respect for teachers and morality. This mass calligraphy performance lured the attention of a large number of local and foreign guests.
The Vietnam Cultural Festival 2026 was organized combining performance arts with entertainment space, creating a chance for tourists to enjoy performances and take part in cultural activities. There were folk music performances and Ao Dai and silk fashion shows at this event to honor the heritage and quintessence of the country’s traditional crafts.
A young man with love for Vietnamese history
Luu Phuong Truc, 20, who studies history at Denison University in Ohio, the U.S., has introduced two publications: Iconic Cultural Heritage Works of HCMC (in Vietnamese and English languages) and The Downfall of the Nguyen Dynasty (in English).
The Iconic Cultural Heritage Works of HCMC began to be written by Truc in 2022 when he was a high school student in HCMC. The book with nearly 200 pages introduces HCMC’s three typical works – the Museum of HCMC, the Saigon Central Post Office and the Independence Palace. The Vietnamese English version of this book was jointly published by An Thu Book and The Gioi Publishing House in May last year.
The Downfall of the Nguyen Dynasty book, with 264 pages, gives an overview of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945). The last feudal dynasty of the country was described by Truc through the kings’ attempts to adapt to historical fluctuations in terms of politics, economy, education, society, military and diplomacy.
Truc told nld.com.vn that he hopes his books could give young Vietnamese living abroad an insight into Vietnamese culture and history.
The matriarchal proposal ceremony of Jrai people
In a bid to preserve and promote the traditional cultural values of the Jrai ethnic group for community-based tourism development, a matriarch
al proposal ceremony of these ethnic people has been reenacted in Op Village, Pleiku Ward, Gia Lai Province.
The proposal ceremony was held in Op Village, where the Jrai residents have protected well their rong (communal) house, gongs, songs, dances and daily life habits. According to the Jrai people’s matriarchal custom, the bride’s family asks a matchmaker to come over to the groom’s family to ask for approval before conducting the proposal ceremony.
In the proposal ceremony, the groom’s delegation brings offerings, including jugs of can wine, grilled chicken, sticky rice and bronze bracelets, to the bride’s family. After the introduction of the matchmaker in the presence of members of the two families and villagers, the bride and groom wear the bronze bracelets to each other as sacred engagement objects of the Jrai people. The bride and groom then eat grilled chicken with sticky rice and drink can wine in the greetings of participants.
The reenactment of the traditional proposal ceremony of the Jrai ethnic group also aims to help young people understand and cherish their rituals and protect their cultural identity, vietnamplus.vn reported.
Disadvantaged kids visit Sa Dec Flower Village
Over 1,100 underprivileged children in the Mekong Delta region had a chance to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) early at the colorful flower village of Sa Dec in Dong Thap Province free of charge, tuoitre.vn reported.
As part of the 2nd Sa Dec Flower and Ornamental Plant Festival taking place from December 27, 2025, to January 4, 2026, more than 1,100 students from Dong Thap Province, Ca Mau Province, Can Tho City and HCMC had a two-day tour of Dong Thap. In Cao Lanh Ward, the children visited Nguyen Sinh Sac National Relic and attended the Tet celebration program held by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneer Organization.
On the second day, the students paid a visit to the flower village in Sa Dec Ward. They took part in music, painting and flower arranging contests held by the Dong Thap Department of Health. This was an opportunity for these disadvantaged students to indulge themselves in the colorful and beautiful space of Sa Dec Flower Village, the cradle of flowers and ornamental plants in the Mekong Delta, and to be aware of others’ sympathy for them.
