Vietnam Cultural Colour in Laos
“The Scent of Vietnam" art program
The diverse activities within the 2026 Viet Nam Cultural Week in Laos promote the image of Vietnam and its people as friendly, dynamic, and driven by a strong aspiration for development.
The 2026 Viet Nam Cultural Week in Laos officially opened on the evening of May 12 in Vientiane. This event marks the inaugural activity of the Cultural and Tourism Cooperation Program between Vietnam and Laos for the 2026–2030 period. Series of cultural and artistic activities is scheduled to take place from May 12 to May 16.
Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh delivered her opening remarks
Speaking at the ceremony, Viet Nam's Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh stressed that cultural cooperation has always served as an important bridge, helping to strengthen mutual understanding between the two countries, deepen the bonds of friendship and trust, and further enhance the special relationship between Viet Nam and Laos.
Lao Minister Suansavanh Viyaketh said that the 2026 Viet Nam Cultural Week in Laos marks a new phase of cooperation in culture and tourism between the two countries for the 2026-2030 period.
Lao Minister of Culture and Tourism, Suansavanh Viyaketh, stated that the Vietnam Cultural Week in Laos 2026 marks a new phase of cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism between Laos and Vietnam for 2026–2030.
One of the highlights of this year's Cultural Week is a series of puppet performances, including water puppetry – a form of folk art regarded as one of a kind in the world, embodying the ingenuity, spirit, and cultural identity of Viet Nam.
Through richly symbolic artistic language, the performances not only honour the distinctive traditional values of Vietnamese culture, but also vividly portray a peace-loving, warm-hearted Vietnamese people with strong aspirations for development and openness to deeper regional and global integration.
Vietnamese artists perform puppetry in Laos
Many artistic performances have been elaborately staged by the artists of the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre, carrying profound symbolism regarding culture and the Vietnam-Laos friendship.
Among the most notable was a performance recreating the legend of Lac Long Quan and Au Co, affirming the depth of Viet Nam's cultural roots and the spirit of national solidarity.
Additionally, the performance "Festival Drums – Teu's Prologue" carries messages of prosperity, peace, and development. Traditional musical instrument performances, such as the Đàn Bầu (monochord) and Đàn T'rưng (bamboo xylophone), create an artistic space rich in identity.
Finally, the performance "Hello Vietnam – Beautiful Champa Flowers" serves as a symbolic highlight, vividly portraying the enduring friendship between the two Parties and States of Vietnam and Laos, while expressing the loyal and inseparable bond between the people of the two countries.
The Vietnam Cultural Week in Laos 2026 will continue through May 16 in Vientiane and Savannakhet Province in Central Laos, including a special performance dedicated to the Vietnamese community in Vientiane.
