Imperial City of Hue hosts calligraphy festival to 26 October
Published on 10/24/2026 at 15:49 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSFestival programme and heritage setting
- The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre runs the festival at the Imperial City from 22 to 26 October 2026.
- More than 100 exhibition booths and hands-on activities connect calligraphy with traditional crafts and Hue cuisine.
- UNESCO recognises the Complex of Hue Monuments, including the Imperial City, as a World Heritage site.
The Imperial City of Hue (Dai Noi) is hosting the Vietnam Calligraphy Festival in Hue, Vietnam, from 22 to 26 October 2026. The programme opened on 22 October at the Co Mat Vien relic site within the imperial complex and remains accessible to residents and visitors during the current festival period.
Vietnam Calligraphy Festival runs until 26 October
The first Vietnam Calligraphy Festival is part of Hue Festival 2026 and brings together calligraphy clubs, calligraphers, artisans, researchers and representatives of traditional craft villages. The event is jointly organised by the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre, the Vietnam Association of Artisans and Brands, and FTP Exhibition and Communications JSC.
More than 100 exhibition booths present calligraphy alongside exchanges, discussions and practical activities. The programme includes both Han-Nom and Vietnamese-language calligraphy, while a separate exhibition space presents traditional handicrafts and Hue cuisine. A Vietnam News Agency report confirms the opening date, venue and organisers.
Calligraphy brings a living programme into the imperial complex
The festival gives visitors a programme centred on making and discussing written art rather than only viewing palace architecture. On 24 October, students, young people and tourists are invited to prepare ink, hold brushes and practise basic strokes, linking the hands-on activity with the Imperial City setting.
The Co Mat Vien relic site places the festival inside the wider royal compound, where cultural activity is managed alongside heritage protection. The festival report from Vietnam News also records exchanges with artisans and the presentation of traditional handicrafts and Hue cuisine.
Imperial City of Hue forms part of a World Heritage complex
The Imperial City is part of the Complex of Hue Monuments, which UNESCO describes as a planned royal capital shaped around the Perfume River. Hue became the capital of unified Vietnam in 1802 and remained the political, cultural and religious centre of the Nguyen dynasty until 1945.
Within the wider Hue Citadel are the Imperial City, the Forbidden Purple City and associated royal palaces. UNESCO identifies the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre as the institution responsible for managing the complex and protecting its outstanding universal value. That setting makes the 2026 calligraphy festival more than a city-wide cultural listing: its exhibitions and practical sessions take place within the surviving structure of a former imperial capital. The UNESCO entry for Hue confirms the site's layout, history and management.
Visiting Imperial City of Hue: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Vietnam Calligraphy Festival runs from 22 to 26 October 2026 at the Co Mat Vien relic site within the Imperial City.
- The festival welcomes residents and visitors, with exhibitions, exchanges, discussions and hands-on calligraphy activities.
- The 24 October programme invites students, young people and tourists to prepare ink, hold brushes and practise basic strokes.
- The venue lies within Hue's imperial complex on the north side of the Perfume River, whose royal compounds are part of the UNESCO-listed Complex of Hue Monuments.
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Frequently asked questions about Imperial City of Hue
When does the Vietnam Calligraphy Festival take place at the Imperial City of Hue?
The festival runs from 22 to 26 October 2026 at the Co Mat Vien relic site within the Imperial City.
What is the Vietnam Calligraphy Festival at the Imperial City of Hue?
It is a cultural programme with exhibitions, discussions, exchanges and practical calligraphy activities, organised as part of Hue Festival 2026.
Where is the Imperial City of Hue and how do you get there?
The Imperial City is in Hue, Vietnam, within the Complex of Hue Monuments on the Perfume River. The festival venue is the Co Mat Vien relic site inside the imperial complex.
