With more than 1,500 seats, Hoa Phuong Theatre provides a premier venue for symphonic concerts and other big performances, which – with live music at other theaters, pedestrian streets, outdoor stages, and public art spaces – enrich Hai Phong’s cultural life.
People’s Artist Colonel Ha Thuy, former Head of the Vocal Department at the Military University of Culture and Arts, said, “Hai Phong is the birthplace of many talented and renowned musicians. Local people have a deep passion for music. This gives Hai Phong all the ingredients to become a major music hub.”
Municipal authorities are finalizing a project to make Hai Phong a city of music by 2030, with a vision to 2045. This project will create a musical ecosystem linked to education, creativity, cultural industries, and community life.
According to Associate Professor Dr. Bui Hoai Son, a standing member of the National Assembly’s Committee on Culture and Education, becoming a “City of Music” is not just branding. It’s a development direction based on Hai Phong’s cultural identity and creative resources.
“Becoming a city of music means establishing the institutional frameworks, policies, human resources, and infrastructure needed for music to flourish,” Son added.
As a “City of Music”, Hai Phong will not only have an abundance of modern theaters, stadium concerts, and music festivals but will make music part of everyday life, with medium-sized and smaller stages in pedestrian zones, public squares, schools, industrial parks, and tourist sites, where people will be encouraged to engage with, create, and perform music rather than simply listen.
Hoang Nguyen, former Deputy Director of the Navy Performing Arts Troupe, said Hai Phong should turn its musical resources into interactive products and make music an integral part of the visitor experience.
“Where can tourists go and what can they enjoy in a City of Music? There must be clear schedules, advertising, and marketing so visitors can plan their trips. Tourism and music must go hand in hand,” said Nguyen.
People’s Artist Tran Nhuong said Hai Phong needs investment in infrastructure, creative hubs, talent development, and signature events, and should introduce mechanisms to attract private businesses to music production, event management, and the development of music-related intellectual property.
“We’re entering an era when a city’s strength can no longer rest solely on steel, concrete, and shipping containers. A modern city’s power lies in creative industries, the cultural economy, and local identity. Music is a multi-billion-dollar global industry. It creates jobs, stimulates nightlife tourism, and fuels youth creativity. With professional investment, Hai Phong can build a fully developed music economy,” Nhuong noted.
Hai Phong also needs to preserve, promote, and digitize its traditional musical heritage, which includes hat van (spiritual singing), ca tru (ceremonial singing), and festival drumming. At the same time, it should expand international cooperation and build its global brand. Becoming a “City of Music” is both a cultural ambition and a strategic move to make Hai Phong’s musical tradition an engine of development.
