HÀ NỘI -- The Việt Nam Happy Fest 2025 promises not only a rich line-up of cultural and artistic activities but an emotional journey for visitors to explore the values of happiness through modern and humanistic perspectives.
The three-day event will take place from December 5 to 7 around the Hoàn Kiếm Lake pedestrian area, which will be transformed into an open cultural space combining multi-sensory exhibitions, community activities and art programmes for residents and tourists.
The event is jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) in coordination with the Hà Nội People's Committee, Việt Nam Television, and the Việt Nam Association of Photographic Artists.
The idea stems from Happy Việt Nam, an annual Human Rights Media Award by the MCST. The award aims to encourage people in Việt Nam, overseas Vietnamese and international friends to create photos and videos about Việt Nam and its people on a digital platform.
Held for the first time in June 2023, the award has received widespread attention at home and abroad with more than 35,000 entries, including touching images and videos about the land and people of Việt Nam to date.
In 2025, Việt Nam has moved up eight places in the world happiness rankings, reaching 46th place, up 19 places in just two years. This is an important milestone demonstrating the international community's recognition of Việt Nam's policies and achievements in ensuring human rights and improving quality of life.
The MCST officially launched Happy Việt Nam 2025 in late July, aiming to find and honour meaningful moments and stories about the country's political, economic, cultural and social life, receiving many works from all over the world which would be vivid evidence of Việt Nam's achievements in the field of human rights.
All these values will be showcased at Việt Nam Happy Fest 2025 next to the legendary Hoàn Kiếm Lake, the heart of the capital city where the cultural quintessence of thousands of years converges.
The display area will be designed as The Road of Happiness with 14 experiential activities stretching from Lê Thái Tổ Street through Đinh Tiên Hoàng and Hàng Khay to Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục Square stage.
The exhibition Happy Việt Nam will present works from an unprecedented photo and video contest on the Việt Nam image promotion platform Vietnam.vn.
People across Việt Nam, overseas Vietnamese and international friends are encouraged to apply digital technology to create photos and videos about the country and people of Việt Nam.
The exhibition is a journey to discover the creativity within each person. The public can listen, see and reflect on their own happiness through each frame and location.
Through the language of light, sound and emotion, the exhibition will tell the story of a happy Việt Nam in an era of prosperous development: an Independent - Free - Happy country, rich in cultural identity, growing strongly and asserting its position on the international stage.
In the Happiness Tree activity, people can hang their wishes and messages of love. The tree symbolises prayers for national peace and prosperity and a peaceful home. It is a meaningful cultural feature of the community, connecting heart to heart.
Each message hung is considered a seed of happiness that is nurtured to spread and grow, becoming a symbol of connection for Việt Nam.
People can also watch and join the Bách Hoa Bộ Hành, or the Parade of a Hundred Flowers, on December 7.
About 800 people will participate in the parade from the Hàng Khay-Tràng Tiền intersection to Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục Square, recreating traditional costumes from many periods and aiming to set a record for the number of people wearing Vietnamese costumes.
A workshop, The Lens of Happiness, will be held on December 6-7 at the Hồ Gươm Cultural Information Centre.
It will be a creative space for photography and videography enthusiasts, with hands-on activities on professional equipment and sharing from experts. Participants can practise on professional equipment, exchange with experts, learn how to build a personal brand through images and discover the beauty of everyday life.
A wedding ceremony of 80 couples will take place on December 6, carrying the message More Than Love.
Inspired by the 80-year journey of Independence - Freedom - Happiness of the nation, the activity will tell 80 happy stories, typical love stories of Vietnamese couples. This is not only a mass wedding but also a symbol of peace, faith and lasting love in modern Vietnamese society.
The Happy Vietnam 2025 Award Ceremony will be held on the night of December 6 with music and art performances entitled Lighting Up Việt Nam Happiness and the award ceremony for winning photo and video works.
A music night, Happy Việt Nam, on December 7 will be organised at Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục Square featuring young artists such as Lâm Bảo Ngọc, Bùi Công Nam, Bridge Band, and representatives of artists from theatres under the MCST.
According to organisers, Việt Nam Happy Fest 2025 with a series of activities would affirm the image of Việt Nam as a peaceful, benevolent and sharing country.
Happiness was not only expressed through art, creativity or the joy of reunion but also through the spirit of turning towards the community, especially the central region where the benevolent hearts of the whole country are directed.
It is expected that the festival will be held annually, creating a national cultural landmark and an attractive destination for international friends. -- VNS