Building a cultural industry from the vibrancy of Thanh Tuyen Festival

Every September, Tuyen Quang comes alive with the vibrant atmosphere of the Thanh Tuyen Festival. This increasingly well-organized, large-scale cultural event attracts large numbers of residents and visitors. What began as spontaneous community lantern parades has gradually evolved into a distinctive cultural and tourism product, opening up new opportunities for the province to develop a cultural industry ecosystem.

The 2026 festival takes place from September 19 to 25, with the highlight being the Sparkling Mid-Autumn Night program, which officially opens at 8 p.m. on September 20 at Nguyen Tat Thanh Square in Minh Xuan Ward. A major highlight is the parade of 40 outstanding Mid-Autumn Festival models selected from competitions held in the wards. Made primarily from traditional materials such as bamboo, rattan, wood, and fitted with electric motors, the large-scale models showcase the creativity and dedication of local communities.

The “Ice Dragon and Phoenix” model created by Phan Thiet 19 Group in Minh Xuan Ward attracts large numbers of visitors.

Thanh Tuyen Festival is also expanding its international cultural exchanges, welcoming delegations from Laos, South Korea, Japan, Germany and China, as well as representatives from KOICA and KOVECA. Alongside cultural activities, the festival features an agricultural and OCOP product fair, traditional craft village activities, a food space, a beer festival and sporting events, including the Tuyen Quang Marathon and the fourth Tuyen Quang Open Off-Road Car and Motorcycle Performance Competition.

Thanh Tuyen Festival is a collective effort by the entire community.

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the province aims to develop Thanh Tuyen Festival into a nationally recognized cultural and tourism product while maintaining a balance between tourism-driven economic development and the preservation of cultural identity.

Tuyen Quang is planning to develop three major cultural, creative and experiential spaces: Tan Trao; the Festival Creative District around Nguyen Tat Thanh Square; and a creative cultural space in the Dong Van Karst Plateau. The province is also promoting cultural tourism through five core product groups: revolutionary historical tourism, festivals and events, community-based cultural tourism, local cuisine, and digitally enabled creative tourism.

Children in Tuyen Quang take pride in their homeland’s traditions.

Alongside the development of modern cultural industries, the province is focusing on preserving and promoting tangible and intangible cultural heritage, including traditional linen and brocade weaving, Hmong flute making, silver craftsmanship, bamboo and rattan handicrafts, and traditional ethnic cuisine.

Tuyen Quang has set a target for cultural industries to contribute around 5 percent of the province’s GRDP by 2030 and 8 percent by 2045. The goal is to gradually establish a professional and modern cultural industry that combines economic development with the preservation and promotion of traditional cultural values.
Le Duy