Artist Hoang Ha Tung will display his paintings of Vietnamese and Dutch farmers at a solo exhibition in Amsterdam.
Tung went to the Netherlands on September 12 with 12 portraits of Vietnamese farmers, which he painted from May to August using traditional Chinese ink and traditional do (poonah) paper.
"Do paper and Chinese ink are very traditional of Vietnamese," Tung said. "But I will not use this material to paint Dutch farmers. Netherlands was home to many artists, including Van Gogh, the famous oil-on-canvas painter."
Tung will go on a field trip with two Dutch colleagues who will help him to get to know more about Dutch farmers living along rivers so that he can paint them, too.
"Vietnamese farmers represent water rice civilisation. But what about Dutch farmers? I’m curious about them," said Tung. "It is interesting to make a comparison between West and East in art such as painting at the upcoming exhibition in Amsterdam."
![]() |
| Artist Ha Hoang Tung will display his portraits of Vietnamese farmers in Amsterdam. |
Tung painted his characters, women and men, in black and white. Most are very old and he found them through photos in a media data resource.
A woman named Hien in the northern province of Bac Giang is one of the characters Tung has painted. She is 92 years old and still herds buffalo. Her teeth are strong enough to chew betel. Tung took about 30 minutes to paint her.
Another is Le Thi Hien, whom he found by chance in Cat Ba fishing village, near Hai Phong city. He saw her lighting a coal-stove, was impressived and quickly painted her. She is 91 years old.
The paintings include one self-portrait in a mix of expressionalistic and surrealistic styles.
Tung was born to a farming family in the northern province of Hai Duong. He graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts Design, Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema. He has displayed his works at many solo and group exhibitions in Vietnam, France, the United Kingdom, Finland, Japan, the US, and Canada.
The exhibition in Amsterdam will be the third solo exhibition abroad following the first and second ones in the US in 2001 and in Canada in 2007.
Technology is similarly enriching exhibitions at the Vietnam Women’s Museum in Hanoi. Wartime letters, a typewriter and other artefacts linked to former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh have been digitally integrated with collections held at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. Through projection mapping, 3D displays and a virtual reality recreation of the Paris Peace Agreement, visitors can engage more deeply with the life and achievements of one of Vietnam’s most prominent diplomats.
As international arrivals surge and global travel trends shift toward safer, culture-focused destinations, Vietnam is positioning itself to move beyond budget tourism and compete through high-value experiences and service quality.
Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Supreme Patriarch of the VBS Patronage Council, called on Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns, and followers to continue serving society with mindfulness and compassion, uphold the noble traditions of Vietnamese Buddhism, and spread the light of kindness to foster a better life for all.
In recent years, many localities across the Dong Van Karst Plateau have strengthened efforts to integrate traditional culture preservation into schools. "Khen" performances, linen weaving, folk songs and traditional games are gradually becoming more familiar once again to younger generations.
Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Gillian Bird said: “We are thrilled to support this musical collaboration between Australia’s Matthew Ifield and Vietnam’s Mỹ Anh. Creative connections and exchange between young people in Australia and Vietnam will help build cultural understanding between our nations”.
The Vietnam Film Institute in coordination with the Embassy of Sweden will jointly organise the Vietnam–Sweden Children’s Film Week in Hanoi in early June, featuring free screenings of Vietnamese animated films and Swedish children’s classics.
Vietnamese Buddhism has consistently upheld the spirit of “protecting the nation and serving the people” while accompanying the nation in promoting social ethics, strengthening great national unity, and advancing national development.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Center in Vietnam and the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, has officially launched the “Korea Season 2026” program series in Vietnam.
With a score of 69 out of 100, Hanoi stood out for its remarkable visual diversity, boasting more than 1.8 million unique colours captured across the analysed images.
The growing presence of Vietnam in international music videos is therefore more than a story of beautiful imagery. It is also a test of how the country positions itself within the global cultural landscape.
According to Vu Ngoc Lam, Country Director of Agoda Vietnam, travellers are becoming more selective when choosing accommodation, prioritising properties with strong reviews, quality amenities and distinctive dining options. This trend reflects a growing emphasis on the overall travel experience, alongside peer-based quality assurance.
Hanoi is currently home to the largest number of craft villages in Vietnam, with around 1,350 villages engaged in traditional trades and handicrafts.
With its majestic landscapes, rich ethnic cultures and immersive tourism experiences, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the Old Town of Lijiang are becoming increasingly attractive to Vietnamese travellers, while also contributing to stronger tourism and cultural exchanges between Vietnam and China’s Yunnan province.
The increase in flights from Russia, the CIS and Belarus to Da Nang not only helps diversify the city’s international visitor markets but also reflects growing confidence among international travel companies in Da Nang’s attractiveness and tourism capacity.
The Command Cave tour offers domestic and international visitors an opportunity to explore the values of the World Natural Heritage site of Phong Nha-Ke Bang while commemorating the victories and sacrifices of forces operating along the Truong Son route.
The introduction of a 10-year multiple-entry visa policy, together with a series of new tourism promotion programs, is creating fresh momentum for the Vietnam–South Korea tourism market in 2026.
The representative of the Vietnam Cinema Association stated that in the context of today’s fourth Industrial Revolution, the requirement to respect and ensure historical authenticity through cinema has become more important than ever, as digital platforms and cyberspace have enabled the widespread dissemination of cross-border media products.
According to the digital travel platform Agoda, travel searches by Vietnamese users show a clear shift toward lesser-known destinations offering more personalised and immersive experiences, spanning coastal, mountainous and cultural tourism.
PSNews - "We have always affirmed that the greatest strength lies in the people, and the greatest creativity also comes from the people. When millions of positive stories are shared and spread simultaneously, we are not only promoting the image of our country, but also helping to strengthen social trust, enhance consensus, elevate national prestige, and proactively counter false and distorted information about Vietnam in the international arena", said Trinh Thi Thuy - Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Head of the Organizing Committee of the award.
An expert said that while Vietnam has yet to build globally influential cultural brands like the US' Hollywood or the Republic of Korea’s K-pop wave, folk culture offers a unique advantage thanks to the diversity of its ethnic cultures.