The event was attended by Huynh Thanh Dat, Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Communication, Education and Mass Mobilisation.
This year’s Tet Book Street Festival aims to promote reading culture and the city’s aspiration to make breakthroughs in a new era. The mascot of the rising horse is designed in modern 3D form based on the image of Saint Giong’s horse, symbolising resilience and a spirit of readiness to move forward.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Tran The Thuan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, said that the year 2026 marks the 16th year of the Tet Book Street Festival — a persistent and dedicated journey of the city to nurture and spread reading culture.
From its modest scale in the beginnings, the festival has become an outstanding cultural event, and a familiar and meaningful place for residents and visitors every Tet holiday.
He emphasised that the city considers the development of reading culture as an important task contributing to building well-rounded citizens. Various meaningful models and programmes have been built and expanded, including the City Book Street, Reading Culture Ambassadors, community reading spaces, school libraries, smart libraries and library buses, gradually bringing books and knowledge closer to people of all ages and in all areas.
A notable new feature this year is the expansion of the event space into many areas, helping to spread reading culture to more residents following administrative boundary merger, while strengthening technology application, harmoniously combining traditional values of Tet books with modern reading trends, meeting diverse public demand in the digital age.
In Sai Gon ward, Le Loi Street becomes a lively heritage and technology experience route for residents and visitors. A highlight is the artistic space “Bamboo forest telling stories,” covering the Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space area.
With the image of humble bamboo forming a strong fortress, the space displays a Ho Chi Minh heritage bookshelf featuring nearly 70 titles, and an exhibition commemorating the 115th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh’s departure to seek a path for national salvation.
Visitors will also experience modern interactive technologies such as an augmented reality model of the city after administrative boundary merger and an AI-powered smart bookshelf integrating ChatGPT to help users search for and receive personalised book recommendations.
The rare books section continues to affirm the value of tangible cultural heritage through editions printed on silk-like Do (poonah) paper before 1945. A highlight is the special work “Tap van hoa ky niem Nguyen Du”, featuring woodcut artworks by 11 outstanding painters of the Indochina.
In addition, the Fine Bookbinding exhibition area showcases meticulously crafted works made from premium goatskin and gilded with 24-karat gold, demonstrating the sophistication of Vietnamese bookbinding art.
The humanitarian spirit of the city’s residents is reflected in the book ATM of kindness, where publishers and readers share knowledge by donating books at the beginning of the lunar new year, as “lucky knowledge gifts.”
The festival also devotes a large space to children, featuring activities such as storytelling bears, a STEM garden and interactive folk games, helping children develop reading habits naturally and enthusiastically.
In Binh Duong Ward, the Tet Book Street features the atmosphere of a creative urban area, with a cultural industry exhibition zone — a new experiential highlight appearing for the first time within the festival framework.
Besides traditional reading experiences, visitors can take part in the interactive game Flappy Bidu to receive interesting gifts such as designed bags and teddy bears, while exploring copyrighted cultural products at the Viet Nam Design Gallery (VDG), where each artwork carries a story of unique indigenous heritage.
![ndo-br-z7537050895127-d5fe6a0da82067e5b0d70916669e0b8a.jpg](https://en-cdn.nhandan.vn/images/02d2265766f967bf834329bab01091827700da40fb6e632f25968d2039697857c166b545a56c4cac07f0c08618f4fb1c9c8398b5144745e9c842f4ae1c925bd55906f5dadb7c2fc610f449f390cb6544ce87a2f7ef9337c5bc375cbaa455a4b9/ndo-br-z7537050895127-d5fe6a0da82067e5b0d70916669e0b8a.jpg "The book "Le Quy Don," part of the illustrated history of Viet Nam series, in a giant display version published by Nha Xuat Ban Tre (Youth Publishing House), was introduced at the Tet Book Street Festival 2026 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the birth of the scholar Le Quy Don.")
Meanwhile, the space in Vung Tau Ward guides readers to better understand the city’s marine economic achievements and maritime and island external affairs following administrative unit rearrangement.
A satellite cultural event there is the light show “Bach Dinh – Colours of the New Spring,” held on the third, fourth and fifth days of Tet. The programme combines modern laser art, contemporary music, and Ao Dai fashion performances, transforming the Bach Dinh historic site into an enchanting spring destination where heritage is revived with the rhythm of the sea.
The Tet Book Street Festival 2026 will run until 10 p.m. on February 22 (the sixth day of the Lunar New Year).
