The opening ceremony featured a striking outdoor arts programme blending music, immersive staging and multi-space performances on both banks of the Ben Hai River, symbolically linking North and South across the historic Hien Luong Bridge. Highlights included a bell-ringing ritual to pray for peace and a vibrant fireworks display.
Addressing the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Thang affirmed that peace is not only a national aspiration for Viet Nam but a sacred value won through immense sacrifice across generations.
He emphasised that, in a world still marked by conflict and instability, Viet Nam remains steadfast in pursuing an independent, self-reliant, peaceful and cooperative foreign policy.
As a trusted partner and responsible member of the international community, Viet Nam works to foster dialogue, strengthen cooperation, uphold international law and contribute to building a peaceful, stable and sustainably developed world.
The Deputy PM commended Quang Tri’s initiative to elevate the Festival for Peace into a national cultural event with growing international resonance. He noted that from a land scarred by war, Quang Tri is emerging as a symbol of peace, friendship and development — a source of pride for the province and a reflection of a peace-loving Viet Nam that closes the past and looks to the future.
Le Hong Vinh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of Quang Tri People’s Committee, recalled that Quang Tri preserves sacred memories of the brutal wartime years, marked by tens of thousands of raids and heavy bombardment. Rising from the ruins and closing that painful chapter, Quang Tri has united to rebuild and prosper; peace is now shaping a new identity for the province.
“From the resilient land of Quang Tri, we send a sincere, proud message: there is no victory greater than the victory of peace. No legacy is more precious than the legacy of harmony. And no future is more sustainable than one built on dialogue, cooperation, respect and humanity,” he declared.
The festival commemorated the 72nd anniversary of the signing of the Geneva Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Viet Nam (July 21, 1954–2026), and the 79th anniversary of Wounded and Fallen Soldiers’ Day (July 27, 1947–2026).
It aims to honour the value of peace; call on people to join efforts to defend, preserve and build a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable life; and pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for the nation.
Main events of the festival include candle-lighting tribute ceremonies at war cemeteries and memorial sites across Quang Tri; a lantern-floating ceremony on the Thach Han River; an international marathon; an exhibition of paintings by artist Le Ba Dang at Quang Tri Provincial Museum; a hot air balloon festival; and a grand national concert.
