Attending the opening ceremony were: Trần Song Tùng - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of the Ninh Bình Provincial People’s Committee; Trần Anh Dũng - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Vice Chairman of the Ninh Bình Provincial People’s Committee; Nguyễn Đức Minh - Deputy Director General of the Department of External Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy; Bùi Văn Mạnh - Director of the Department of Tourism; Nguyễn Mạnh Cường - Standing Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports; Trần Ngọc Minh - Deputy Director of the Department of Health; Đinh Hoàng Dũng - Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Council of Thiên Trường Ward; Mai Hồng Diên - Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Committee of Thiên Trường Ward; Lê Thị Thiết - Vice President of the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association and President of the Ninh Bình Culinary Culture Association; along with representatives from provincial departments, agencies, and sectors; representatives of culinary associations from various provinces and cities; artisans, visitors, and a large number of local residents.
At the ceremony, provincial leaders performed the official opening ritual of Phở Festival 2026.
In the opening speech, the Organizing Committee emphasized that Phở Festival 2026 is a significant cultural and culinary event aimed at honoring the traditional values of phở - a quintessential Vietnamese dish – while also promoting the image of the country, its people, and Vietnamese culinary culture to both domestic and international visitors.
Delegates and attendees also enjoyed a special artistic video titled “From Grain to Vietnamese Icon,” which vividly portrayed the formation and development of phở. From simple ingredients such as rice, herbs, and spices, through the skillful hands of Vietnamese people, phở has become a dish embodying the national spirit and winning the hearts of diners worldwide. The video not only illustrated its historical depth but also celebrated the cultural, spiritual, and identity values of phở in contemporary life.
Phở Festival 2026 brings together 50 booths from renowned phở businesses and brands nationwide, showcasing the unique stories and flavors of phở from the North, Central, and South regions. Throughout the four-day event, a wide range of engaging activities will take place, including culinary cultural tours and experiences, the “Vietnamese Phở Imprint” showcase, folk art performances, “Three - Region Phở” experiences, and networking activities among artisans and culinary experts.
Following the opening ceremony, delegates, locals, and visitors explored the festival space, featuring numerous vibrant activities. A key highlight is the “Heritage Phở Pot” experience area, which recreates the traditional phở cooking process - from ingredient selection and broth preparation to presentation and enjoyment. Here, visitors can directly experience the culinary essence refined through generations and interact with artisans and chefs from various regions.
Phở Festival 2026 is a journey to explore and honor the value of phở - from its roots in traditional craft villages, the familiar presence of street-side phở vendors, to the convergence and innovation of regional phở styles in contemporary life. Each space and activity at the festival contributes to telling the story of phở - not merely as a dish, but as a cultural symbol deeply intertwined with the lives of Vietnamese people across generations.
Through diverse activities such as exhibitions, cooking demonstrations, culinary experiences, and cultural exchanges, the festival reaffirms phở as a living cultural practice that continues to be preserved, innovated, and developed. At the same time, the event strengthens connections among localities, artisans, and businesses in the culinary sector, promoting tourism development linked with the preservation and promotion of heritage values.
Phở Festival 2026 will run until March 22, 2026, at Thiên Trường Pedestrian Street, promising more exciting activities that will attract a large number of residents and visitors. This is not only a signature cultural and tourism event of Ninh Bình Province but also an opportunity to honor, preserve, and promote one of the most outstanding culinary treasures of Vietnam.