Free museums, cultural festivals: What to explore in Vietnam's Da Nang this November

The Da Nang Museum announced on Friday that admission would be free for all visitors on November 24 at three locations: the Da Nang Museum at 42 Bach Dang Street and 31 Tran Phu Street, its second branch at 281 Phan Boi Chau Street, and the Da Nang Museum of Fine Arts at 78 Le Duan Street.

The initiative is part of a series of activities running from November 18 to 30 to mark Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day, Vietnam Culture Day, and the 2026 Culture and National Unity Week.

A highlight will be the Da Nang Cultural Heritage Festival, themed 'Connecting Heritage Regions,' held at the Da Nang Museum on November 21-22.

The two-day festival will showcase traditional folk arts, including bai choi, a UNESCO-recognized art form combining music, poetry, and performance, tuong (classical Vietnamese opera), and two regional folk singing traditions, ho khoan xu Quang and ho Ba Ly.

Visitors can also watch artisans demonstrate traditional crafts such as mat weaving, sugar making, rice paper production, fish sauce making, and fishing net weaving, with opportunities to try some of the techniques themselves.

The festival will also showcase the cultural traditions of the Ca Dong, Co Tu, Muong, and Tay ethnic communities through costumes, musical instruments, household objects, and handicrafts.

An exhibition titled 'Colors of Nam O' will feature approximately 30-70 paintings and installations inspired by the landscapes, history, and daily life of the ancient Nam O village.

Beyond the festival, the Da Nang Museum will receive more than 4,000 artifacts and documents donated by individuals and families to support local heritage preservation, according to Tran Thi Khanh Ly, an official from the museum's Technology and Services Division.

Meanwhile, the Da Nang Museum of Fine Arts will display 43 selected artworks from a collection of 524 items transferred by the Vietnam Fine Arts Association earlier this year. The exhibition runs from November 18 to 30.

At the Da Nang Museum's second branch, an exhibition titled 'Da Nang's Cultural Heritage: Origins and Continuity' will take place from November 19 to 25.

Featuring national treasures, antiques, and historical documents, the exhibition will trace 555 years of settlement and development in the region, from the former Quang Nam administrative area to present-day Da Nang.