Highland market festival to ring in New Year 2026 in Hanoi
Hanoi’s iconic cultural destination will ring in 2026 with a highland market festival and harvest rituals led by 16 ethnic communities.
THE HANOI TIMES — The Vietnam Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village will welcome 2026 with a vibrant highland market experience, turning the start of the new year into a celebration of ethnic culture and community life with the “Highland Market - Welcoming the New Year 2026.”
A Central Highlands gong performance at the Vietnam’s Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village. Photo courtesy of the village
Running from January 1 to 4 at the village in Doai Phuong Commune, Hanoi, the event will gather more than 100 artisans and performers representing 16 ethnic groups including Nung, Tay, Dao, H'Mong, Muong, Thai, Ba Na, Gia Rai, E De and Khmer communities to recreate the lively spirit of traditional upland markets through rituals, cuisine and handicrafts.
The program is designed to reflect the role of highland markets as social and cultural hubs in mountainous areas, where trade, festivals and community ties come together at the turn of the year.
At the heart of the celebration will be a market space of about 40 stalls, where visitors can explore ethnic cuisine, regional specialties and traditional handicrafts. Folk songs, dances and traditional games will animate the venue, while artisans demonstrate time-honored weaving, carving and craft-making techniques passed down through generations.
Cultural exchange activities under the theme “Colorful Market Fair Welcoming the New Year” will feature performances celebrating homeland, national identity and the distinct cultural expressions of each ethnic community.
The market setting also serves as a gathering place for ethnic groups to meet, interact and reaffirm solidarity at the start of the new year.
The H’Mong ethnic minority in Vietnam’s northwest region. Photo: Van Phuc/ The Hanoi Times
A highlight of the program is the reenactment of the Kho Mu harvest festival from Huoi Mot Commune in the northern province of Son La. The ritual, led by community elders and followed by festive gatherings, reflects prayers for prosperity and abundant harvests in the year ahead.
Visitors from Hanoi and beyond will also be invited to take part in hands-on experiences, including making five-colored sticky rice and sampling traditional dishes prepared by northern highland communities currently residing and working at the village.
The New Year celebration is expected to deepen public understanding of Vietnam’s ethnic cultures, support cultural preservation and promotion, and strengthen inter-ethnic exchange, setting a tone of unity and shared development for 2026.
