First spring festival in the heritage region
The 2026 Con Son–Kiep Bac Spring Festival marks the first spring celebration since the Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac complex was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site.
Highlighting World Heritage status
Visiting the Con Son–Kiep Bac Spring Festival during the opening of the Cultural, Tourism and Trade Promotion Week, Nguyen Lan Phuong from Ba Dinh Ward in Hanoi said she was impressed by the scale of the event and the site’s new look.
This year’s Culture, Tourism and Trade Promotion Week is being held in the area in front of the Crescent Lake, covering more than 10,000 square meters.
Large-scale exhibitions showcasing OCOP products, typical agricultural goods, traditional handicrafts, tourism products and local cuisine have been organized as part of the festival.
The event also offers new experiences for tens of thousands of visitors, including the first-ever “Heritage Book Day” and the “Truc Lam Cultural Space”, aimed at preserving and promoting the spirit and philosophy of the Truc Lam Zen sect associated with the historical and cultural values of Con Son.
Festival activities also include traditional competitions such as wrapping banh chung and pounding banh giay, a firecracker clay festival, and the 2026 half marathon titled “Con Son – Kiep Bac: Journey Through World Heritage”.
A key highlight of this year’s festival takes place on March 6–7, marking the 692nd anniversary of the passing of Huyen Quang, the Third Patriarch of the Truc Lam Zen sect (1334–2026) and a special art program titled “Con Son – Kiep Bac: Heritage Source”.
Speaking at a recent press briefing, Nguyen Minh Hung, Vice Chairman of the Hai Phong People’s Committee and head of the festival’s organizing committee, said the event is being held following UNESCO recognition of the Con Son–Kiep Bac complex as a World Cultural Heritage site.
He noted that the recognition marks a new milestone and places higher demands on the preservation and promotion of the site’s heritage values.
The city aims to continue renewing the festival’s content and organization while improving the quality of rituals, cultural and artistic activities and tourism services, gradually building the festival into a nationally and internationally recognized cultural event.
Promoting tourism development
The Con Son–Kiep Bac Spring Festival 2026 features several new highlights, reflecting efforts to elevate the event in line with its world heritage status.
The festival space has been expanded across the Con Son–Kiep Bac heritage area and is closely linked with efforts to promote the site’s outstanding values, focusing on five component relic sites located within the city.
New activities introduced during the festival not only enrich its content and format but also reflect a renewed approach to preserving and promoting the world heritage values while encouraging sustainable cultural and spiritual tourism.
The organizing committee has also stepped up efforts, including greater use of digital technology for heritage interpretation and visitor guidance, upgraded heritage tour experiences and expanded exhibitions introducing local specialties to enhance the visitor experience.
Hai Phong News