The exhibition, titled “Tourism and Cultural Space - Integration and Diffusion,” runs from September 5 to 8 at the Provincial Convention Center and along a section of Truong Chinh Street in Quy Nhon Ward.
The event is organized under the direction of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in coordination with the Gia Lai Provincial People’s Committee.
It is being implemented by the Vietnam Center for Cultural and Artistic Exhibitions, the Gia Lai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and other relevant units.
The exhibition brings together cultural spaces highlighting heritage sites, rural communities, traditional craft villages, destinations and the stories of artisans preserving and passing down local traditions.
Its themes include “Vietnam - A Symphony of Heritage,” “Vietnam - The Happiest Villages, World’s Best Destinations,” and Quy Nhon - “ASEAN Clean Tourist City 2026.” Other displays include “Bridges of Memory - Interweaving with the World,” a philatelic exhibition on tourism, culture, heritage and integration, and “To the Land of Heritage - Hands That Tell Stories.”
The diverse displays offer visitors different perspectives on Vietnam’s cultural identity while connecting the stories of local communities with tourism development.
Cultural exchanges, artistic performances and community arts activities are also being held throughout the exhibition, allowing visitors to experience local traditions directly rather than simply viewing artifacts and photographs.
Heritage and traditional crafts take center stage
The Hue exhibition space showcases products closely connected with daily life and traditional crafts, highlighting the heritage of the former imperial capital, including the Complex of Hue Monuments, Royal Court Music and craft villages preserved across generations.
Le Ngoc Truong Thien, deputy head of the Professional, Culture and Propaganda Division at the Hue City Center for Culture and Cinema, said the presentation aims to introduce local products while promoting Hue’s distinctive heritage and cultural values.
He said the exhibition could help bring traditional values closer to the public and create more opportunities for craft villages to connect with tourism, allowing visitors to better understand the people and dedication behind traditional crafts.
Nguyen Hang Nga, director of the Vietnam Center for Cultural and Artistic Exhibitions, said the diversity of stories presented at the event reflects Vietnam’s cultural identity, vitality and tourism potential.
She said tourism development should go hand in hand with preserving and promoting cultural values, adding that efforts should extend beyond individual destinations to strengthen connections between localities, culture and tourism, as well as tradition and creativity.
Under this approach, heritage sites, craft villages, festivals and stories about local people and places can all become part of the experience of discovering Vietnam.
Gia Lai highlights cultural diversity
Gia Lai has its own exhibition space under the theme “Gia Lai - Integration, Spreading Colors,” featuring the province’s cultural, historical and intangible heritage, scenic destinations, festivals and tourism attractions.
Among the highlights are Central Highlands gongs, traditional costumes, Phu Gia horse hats, Tay Son battle drums and Bai Choi folk singing, presented together to reflect the cultural diversity associated with Gia Lai’s landscape of “great forest meets blue sea.”
The display also features OCOP products, traditional crafts, handicrafts, cuisine and local specialties. Tea and coffee are given dedicated spaces, including tea ceremony experiences and areas for visitors to take photographs.
Local products that are familiar in everyday life take on a broader role in the exhibition, serving as cultural “ambassadors” that tell stories about Gia Lai, its people and efforts to preserve local values across generations
Le Thuc Anh, founder and president of the Vietnam Women’s Association for Global Connection, experienced Gia Lai’s gong culture at the exhibition.
She said the experience gave her a deeper appreciation of the vitality of the region’s cultural traditions and helped visitors better understand Gia Lai and its people.
Beyond showcasing cultural values, the exhibition provides Gia Lai with an opportunity to build connections with other localities, businesses and organizations working in culture and tourism.
Do Thi Dieu Hanh, director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the exhibition’s significance extends beyond the images, artifacts and products on display.
She said it provides a space where different cultural regions can meet and exchange stories about heritage, land and people, while strengthening cooperation and sharing experiences in cultural and tourism development.
Through these connections, Hanh said, cultural values can have greater potential to become resources for developing new tourism products and journeys, bringing stories about Vietnam’s land and people, and Gia Lai in particular, closer to contemporary life and domestic and international visitors.