A total of 391 outstanding artists were honoured with the State titles of People’s Artist and Meritorious Artist at a ceremony held at the Hanoi Opera House on August 29, with the attendance of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
These titles are the State’s most noble awards for artists in recognition of their talents as well as dedication and contributions to the country’s arts sector.
The artists honoured this time belong to different ethnic groups like Kinh, Thai, Muong, Tay, Nung, H’Mong, Ede, Jrai and Khmer, and works in various fields such as cinematography, music and theatre. They included 13 late artists.
The oldest among the honoured artists this year is 92-year-old cameraman Duong Tuan Ba of the Giai Phong film studio.
Speaking at the ceremony, PM Phuc said over the past years, writers and artists have contributed to the struggle for national independence, freedom and reunification, as well as national construction and defence.
He lauded the efforts, talents and dedication of the artists, and described them as pioneers in preserving, developing and spreading the nation’s cultural and artistic values both at home and abroad.
The leader pointed out limitations and challenges currently facing the cultural and artistic sector, including cultural degradation.
Given this, the most urgent task is to perfect the standards and values of the Vietnamese culture and people, making culture a foundation for economic development, and the nation’s internal strength, he said.
Promoting cultural and human values has been defined as one of strategic breakthroughs in strategic documents on socio-economic development for 2021-2030, as well as socio-economic orientations and tasks for 2021-2025 which are being prepared for the 13th National Party Congress, he noted.
The PM expressed his hope that the artists will work harder to develop the Vietnamese arts sector and promote Vietnamese culture abroad.
In recent years, Ta Xua, dubbed "the paradise of clouds", has emerged as one of the mountainous destinations attracting strong interest from young travellers, particularly for its spectacular sea of clouds stretching across the mountains in the northwestern region.
Training local young people in filming, audio recording, digital storytelling, data preservation and responsible use of AI can help build a new generation of cultural custodians. This, in turn, can help transform cultural heritage into a resource for economic development while contributing to the country’s broader development.
The exhibits are presented as historical and legal materials proving Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa in the East Sea.
With growing recognition of indigenous knowledge, customs and cultural values as unique assets, ethnic communities in the northern mountainous region are shifting from simply providing tourism services to becoming creators and owners of tourism products, confidently telling their own cultural stories
When local people remain the custodians of their resources, tourism can become a reason for them to stay, maintain their livelihoods, and renew community value rather than replacing it.
Alongside the RoK, Da Nang has stepped up tourism promotion in India, Japan, China, Russia and CIS countries, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Jonathan Wallace Baker, UNESCO Representative to Vietnam, noted that the official proclamation of the 2027–2036 period as the "International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development" comes at a particularly important moment. As the international community works to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda while beginning to consider what comes after 2030, the Decade provides a ten-year framework to strengthen the place of culture in development.
Under Resolution 80-NQ/TW, dated January 7, 2026, November 24 was designated Vietnam Culture Day, to be observed annually. The occasion aims to give the public opportunities to participate in, create and enjoy cultural activities, helping spread positive values and foster pride in Vietnamese culture.
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Women’s football movements in local communities have been quietly growing, but they’ve now built up enough momentum to inspire organisers to launch the first Vietnam Ethnic Minority Women’s Football – VTV Cup in 2026.
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Vietnamese film Quan Ky Nam (Ky Nam Inn) has won several awards at the 25th Imagine India International Film Festival (IIIFF) in Madrid, including Best Director.
According to the magazine, boat trips into Phong Nha Cave and strolls through Paradise Cave (both family-friendly) offer a tantalising glimpse of their astonishing scale, but the real adventure lies deeper within the park, where cavers wade through underground rivers and weave among stalagmites.
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The National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance reported that Vietnam welcomed nearly 2 million international visitors in August, up 19.7% from July and 18.4% year-on-year. The figure represented 63.6% of the tourism sector’s full-year target of 25 million arrivals.
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Ngo Phuong Ly, the spouse of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, said the two countries share similarities in silk weaving and can enrich their cultural heritage through exchanges and experience sharing.
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