American actor Leonardo DiCaprio says Vietnam's Lan Ha Bay is a "paradise" that could be lost to tourism overkill and plastic pollution.
In a 58-second-long video posted on May 30 on his Instagram account, the actor who shot to stardom via movies like Titanic, captures the beauty of a floating fishing village on Lan Ha Bay in the northern city of Hai Phong.
The video garnered more than 880,000 views, with many impressed by the breathtaking beauty of the bay, a lesser known cousin of Ha Long Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh.
Leonardo wrote on his Instagram account that this traditional fishing village in Lan Ha Bay floats atop emerald waters among lush limestone karst formations. Villagers depend on the sea for survival and make a living from fishing, aquaculture and tourism.
"It looks like paradise, but their unique way of life is threatened by wastewater, plastic pollution, unsustainable tourist activities, and climate change," he noted.
The 46-year-old actor called on all tourists to take care and reduce their environmental impact while visiting the bay so as to keep it beautiful forever.
Lan Ha Bay is located to the east of Cat Ba Islands in the coastal city of Hai Phong, northern Vietnam. The 7,000-hectare bay is home to around 400 islands, all of them covered with trees and other vegetation.
The bay is home to the Cai Beo fishing village, said to be the oldest of its kind in Vietnam and considered a living museum of Vietnamese fishing culture. The floating village, with around 300 households, consists of dozens of houses that float on green clear waters.
In 2018, New York-based travel site Thrillist listed Lan Ha Bay among the lesser-known places to visit in Southeast Asia.
Serious pollution at Vietnam’s popular beaches and islands caused by a tourism boom and resultant overcrowding has become a top concern of the tourism industry in recent years.
Many tourism industry insiders have expressed concern over how beaches in Vietnam are being trashed at an alarming rate. The country is the fourth largest sea polluter in the world, according to the United Nations Environment Program.
In 2014, Leonardo was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace, a post he uses to raise awareness about climate change. It continues the mission of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, established in 1998, to protect the Earth’s last wild places and building a more harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world.
On educational cooperation, Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Thanh Binh praised long-standing collaboration in training, research and academic exchanges, noting that the Vietnamese language now is taught at around 30 universities across China.
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.