“Hanoi in My Heart” 2025 highlights the city’s new era of growth

THE HANOI TIMES — The 2025 “Hanoi in My Heart” photo exhibition opened today (October 8) under the theme “Hanoi in the Era of Growth” to celebrate the people, life and landscape of the capital as it continues to renew and develop alongside the nation.

The event marks the 71st anniversary of Hanoi’s Liberation Day (October 10) and welcomes the 18th Congress of the Hanoi Party Committee for the 2025–2030 term.

With the theme “Hanoi in the Era of Growth”, this year’s exhibition presents 80 photographs capturing remarkable milestones and achievements across all sectors over the past five years, following the implementation of the 17th Congress Resolution for the 2020–2025 term.

According to Assoc. Prof. and Dr. Nguyen Thanh Loi, Editor-in-Chief of Kinh te & Do thi (Economic & Urban) Newspaper, the event aims to highlight the historical significance of Hanoi’s Liberation Day and honor the revolutionary tradition and contributions of the city’s Party organization, armed forces and people in national liberation, construction and defense.

The exhibition inspires pride in Hanoi’s thousand-year heroic tradition while promoting responsibility and unity among all levels of administration and citizens to continue building and developing the capital, determined to fulfill the goals set for the 2025–2030 term.

“The exhibition also reflects the strong engagement of the city’s political system in operating the two-tier local government model effectively to better serve residents and businesses,” Loi said.

“Visitors can see a Hanoi that leads, inspires and represents the nation; a city rich in cultural heritage making strong strides in a new era,” said the Editor-in-Chief.

The 2025 “Hanoi in My Heart” exhibition features two main sections.

The first section, titled “Hanoi operates an effective two-tier local government,” focuses on the city’s transition since July 1, 2025 when 126 new communes and wards officially came into operation under the two-tier model.

The photos depict Hanoi’s efforts to streamline administration, strengthen the government apparatus and improve services for citizens and enterprises.

This section offers a comprehensive view of how the new local government model functions – from modern infrastructure and digital data management to public service centers and socio-economic development projects.

The second section, “The 18th Party Congress of Hanoi: A milestone in the new era”, captures the city’s achievements under the 17th Congress Resolution from 2020 to 2025 across politics, Party building, economy, culture, society and urban development.

It also features preparations for the upcoming 18th Party Congress and showcases the vibrant atmosphere of the 80th anniversary celebrations of the August Revolution (August 19) and Vietnam’s National Day (September 2). These moments reflect the pride of the Vietnamese people and international friends visiting Hanoi.

To produce these photos, members of the Hanoi Elderly Photographers Club traveled to new commune and ward offices, major events and urban sites to capture images of the city’s daily life and development, according to the club president Nguyen Van Phuc.

Photographer Nguyen Thi Bich Huong, for example, visited public service centers to document how officials assist citizens with administrative procedures, resulting in works like “Citizens leave happily after quick administrative processing.”

The club president's Phuc said that the 2025 theme was broad and challenging and the work faced unpredictable weather conditions. However, both professional and amateur photographers worked with dedication to deliver high-quality and heartfelt photos.

“Through this exhibition, our members and reporters from Economic and Urban Newspaper want to celebrate the people, life and landscape of Hanoi in its journey of renewal and development. It brings us joy and pride to continue contributing positively to society,” he said.

A cultural rendezvous of the capital

The annual “Hanoi in My Heart” photo exhibition first took place in 2000 at the Hanoi Exhibition Center (45 Trang Tien Street) in a small, intimate setting organized by the Hanoi Elderly Photographers Club with the support of Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper.

Since 2004, the event has been upgraded into a large-scale citywide cultural activity. Each year, the exhibition follows a unique theme aligned with the capital’s development and major events.

Audiences have enjoyed diverse themes such as “Colors of Hanoi’s Culture” in 2022, “Hanoi – 15 Years of Expansion” in 2023 and “Hanoi Rising Strong” in 2024. This year’s theme, “Hanoi in the Era of Growth”, marks another milestone in the city’s progress.

“Hanoi today has become a green, modern and civilized city with new urban areas, long tree-lined roads and a transformed countryside wearing a new, vibrant look,” said Nguyen Duc Loi, Standing Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association.

“Hanoi has become a key economic hub and a place that fosters creativity and innovation. It serves as a major driving force in Vietnam’s integration and global growth.”

Loi hoped that the exhibited works would reach wider audiences at home and abroad, helping Hanoi’s cultural beauty and identity shine.

Over the past 20 years, “Hanoi in My Heart” has grown steadily, showcasing the dedication and love for Hanoi from generations of photographers. Each photo captures heartfelt moments of pride, reflecting a heroic, elegant and creative city of peace that continues to assert its place in the modern world.

The exhibition has drawn increasing public attention, featuring photojournalism that closely reflects daily life. Many works have appeared in the “Hanoi’s Rhythm of Life” and “Elegant and Civilized Hanoi” photo series published by Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper.

The event gathers the finest works from members of the Hanoi Elderly Photographers Club and contributing journalists. Each photographer tells visual stories of Hanoi’s beauty and progress, promoting the image of a cultured, modern and civilized capital to visitors near and far.

Co-organized by Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper, the Hanoi Elderly Photographers Club and the Center for Scientific and Cultural Activities Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam, the exhibition runs on October 8–12 at the Temple of Literature and from October 12 to 21 at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel.