Ho Chi Minh City’s merger with Binh Duong and Ba Ria–Vung Tau has formed an expansive mega-city, broadening the scale and diversity of its cultural heritage landscape while presenting fresh opportunities and challenges that demand a more coordinated and forward-looking preservation strategy.

The Spring Festival of the Year of the Horse 2026 officially opened in Hanoi on February 6, featuring a wide range of cultural and artistic activities to mark the success of the 14th National Party Congress and the 96th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The Happy Tet programme 2026, themed “Tet is Happiness”, was launched at the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long in Hanoi on February 6, offering a diverse array of vibrant cultural activities in the lead-up to the country's largest spring festival.

VOV.VN - The Embassy of Vietnam in China, in coordination with Vietnamese restaurants operating locally, organised the “Vietnam Phở Day” event on February 5.

VOV.VN - The first Spring Fair 2026 in Hanoi is bringing together regional specialties from across Vietnam, offering visitors a chance to shop for local products while exploring the country’s diverse culinary traditions and cultural heritage.

Vietnam aims to rank among the top three ASEAN countries and the world’s top 30 in the Soft Power Index by 2045, while becoming an attractive destination for tourism, investment, innovation and international cultural exchange, supporting its goal of becoming a developed, high-income nation.

VOV.VN - Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said he hopes the first Spring Fair 2026 will grow into an annual hallmark of trade promotion, contributing to stimulating domestic consumption, promoting Vietnamese products and creating fresh momentum for economic development.

VOV.VN - Vietnam’s Tet Festival 2026 to celebrate the coming Lunar New Year of the Horse opened at the Youth Cultural House, Ho Chi Minh City, on February 1, offering a vibrant cultural space that celebrates the beauty of traditional Tet customs.

UNESCO highly welcomes the vision reflected in the Politburo’s Resolution 80-NQ/TW, said UNESCO Representative to Vietnam Jonathan Wallace Baker, noting that by positioning culture as a core resource and a pillar for development, Vietnam is placing people, values, and identity at the heart of its long-term strategy.

Under the auspices of the Vietnamese Embassy in New Zealand, the Vietnamese Association in Wellington (VietCom) recently hosted an event to welcome the Lunar New Year (Tet) 2026, featuring a lineup of meaningful activities rich in national cultural identity.