Ha Noi Creative Design Festival 2023: a turn over of industrial heritage into a creative cultural complex

Update: 23/11/2023
(TITC) - Ha Noi Creative Design Festival is an annual activity of Ha Noi to implement initiatives to join UNESCO's Creative Cities Network, promote the construction of Creative Cities, and develop cultural industries.

The Creative Design Festival 2023 taking place from 17th November to 26th November 2023, has the theme "Flow" to emphasise the role of heritage in contemporary life, being inherited, connected, and created. Among them, there are industrial heritages of the city that are still sleeping and waiting to be awakened.

Train display at the festival (Photo: MOCST)

The festival consists of a series of more than 60 completely free cultural activities for the public with 4 works introducing architecture, a series of community events, a creative fair... with the participation of more than 200 units, creators and artists from different backgrounds in the fields of creative design, especially many young artists, have been actively participating in ideas and accompanying the programme.

The festival focuses on three main pillars: Design, Community and Creativity; aiming at the life flow connecting the historical, cultural, economic and social values of the Capital, the Festival's experiential route emphasises the connection on both sides of the Red River such as Van Xuan flower garden and Hang Dau Water Tower; Long Bien Station; Long Bien Bridge; Gia Lam Station and Gia Lam Train Factory - the main locations where the Festival's activities take place.

At the festival, people and tourists will experience the space "Architecture, factories and (re)drawing the modern dream" by architect Mai Hung Trung, founder of Hanoi Ad hoc organisation; the outdoor architectural pavilion "Waiting Station" designed by architect Le Quang Thach - AVALO interior architecture company; architectural and artistic pavilion at "Hot Workshop" by architect Nguyen Hong Quang - TOOB studio; display "Water installation and heritage of Hang Dau Water Tower"...

Art installation exhibition "The Call" by artist Thu Tran with strips of paintings 40-60m long hanging on the ceiling of workshop 3B1 at Gia Lam Train Factory (Photo: toquoc.vn)

Pavilion "Hot Workshop Art and Architecture Space" displays artefacts that exist in the workshop, as well as images of other industrial production facilities in Vietnam (at Gia Lam Train Factory) (Photo: toquoc.vn)

Rusted vestiges over time at a corner of Gia Lam Train Factory (Photo: toquoc.vn)

One of the highlights of the festival is that people and tourists will experience the heritage train journey with sights from Hang Dau station - Long Bien station - Gia Lam station - Gia Lam Train Factory. Along with that, art activities and community performance with the theme "Flow" at Gia Lam Train Factory will be a combination of creativity on traditional and contemporary platforms, or “Ha Noi Station Soundscape” is a unique sound installation. This is also the space to organise the Art and Craft Fair with the participation of many young creators.

In particular, at the art space in Gia Lam Train Factory, visitors can also experience Cheo and Xam singing (Photo: toquoc.vn)

Forums and seminars also take place such as: ASEAN’s UNESCO Creative Cities Network conference in Ha Noi, International conference "Ha Noi Creative City - Brand building and resource development", the workshop "Multi-functional cultural park in the dunes in the middle and along the Red River" and many workshops and seminars gathered creative field experts and the creative community to participate, a place where the community creates, interacts, connects, exchanges information and creates together…

Mr. Hoang Nang Khang, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Railway Corporation said, the experience train route connects both sides of the Red River, starting from Ha Noi station, arriving at Long Bien station, crossing Long Bien bridge and ending at Gia Lam station, from there, visitors walk to Gia Lam Train Factory to participate in creative activities. Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) will add special art train cars, on which works will be displayed within the framework of the exhibition "Peripheral Movement #2".

From 18th to 26th November, VNR has arranged two separate pairs of trains, LH3, LH4, LH5, LH6, to serve tourists during the festival. Residents and tourists can buy tickets at Ha Noi station or Long Bien station to experience this special railway tour.

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