As part of a working visit to Gwangju City, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, from September 18 to 20, 2026, a Quang Ninh City delegation led by Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs Ho Van Vinh attended the opening ceremony of the 31st Namhansanseong Cultural Festival at Namhansanseong Park in Gwangju City.
The Namhansanseong Cultural Festival is an annual cultural event organised by Gwangju City to preserve, promote and spread the historical and cultural values of Namhansanseong. This year’s festival takes place from September 18 to 20, marking the 400th anniversary of the construction of Namhansanseong Fortress.
Namhansanseong was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2014. Built in the early 17th century during the Joseon Dynasty, the fortress once served as a temporary royal palace and defensive stronghold during emergencies. The heritage site has outstanding values in military architecture, urban planning, and Korean history and culture.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director of the Quang Ninh City Department of Foreign Affairs Ho Van Vinh affirmed that for Quang Ninh, a locality with many outstanding heritage sites and scenic attractions such as Ha Long Bay and Yen Tu, participation in the Namhansanseong Cultural Festival provides an opportunity to strengthen exchanges and share experience in heritage conservation and promotion linked with tourism development and community life.
Highlighting similarities in heritage conservation and promotion, Director of the Quang Ninh City Department of Foreign Affairs Ho Van Vinh expressed his belief that stronger cultural exchanges, delegation exchanges and people-to-people exchanges would help broaden mutual understanding and strengthen ties between the people of the two localities. At the same time, they would create further opportunities for Quang Ninh and Gwangju to share experience and promote practical cooperation in the coming period.
Attendance at the 31st Namhansanseong Cultural Festival is one of the activities on the Quang Ninh City delegation’s working programme in Gwangju. The visit contributes to strengthening cultural exchanges, promoting the image, people and heritage values of Quang Ninh, while expanding opportunities for cooperation between the two localities.
