On December 20, at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Hanoi People's Committee jointly opened the Vietnam OCOP Festival 2025 under the theme "Vietnam – Convergence and Diffusion".

Attending the opening ceremony were Party Central Committee member and Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan, Party Central Committee member and Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang, alternate Party Central Committee member and Standing Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers' Association Phan Nhu Nguyen, Hanoi Party Standing Committee member and Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen, leaders of provinces and cities, and representatives of the World Crafts Council.

The Vietnam OCOP Festival 2025 affirms national standing and inspires pride in the movement "Vietnamese people prioritize using Vietnamese goods".

The event also creates a major opportunity to honor the diligence and creativity of Vietnamese people and to bring "Made in Vietnam" products infused with Vietnamese culture to the world.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister Tran Duc Thang said the theme "OCOP Vietnam – Convergence and Diffusion" carries profound meaning.

The festival gathers outstanding OCOP products from across regions, connects OCOP producers with distributors, investors, experts and consumers and spreads pride in local culture, indigenous knowledge and the aspiration for legitimate prosperity among rural communities.

The festival not only honors exemplary products but also sends a strong message: OCOP Vietnam is shifting from "making products" to "building brands", from "selling what we have" to "selling what the market needs" and from "extensive growth" to "deep and sustainable development".

Minister Tran Duc Thang expressed his expectation that OCOP Vietnam will strengthen its presence beyond the domestic market and gradually assert its position internationally.

"Each OCOP product must become not just a commodity but an ambassador of Vietnamese culture. Each OCOP producer must move beyond production to become a modern rural entrepreneur with knowledge, aspiration and responsibility to the community," he said.

The Minister affirmed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will continue to accompany OCOP producers with strong and practical actions, refine policies, remove bottlenecks and create the most favorable environment for development.

"The State will not do things for producers, but it will work with them and follow through to the end," he emphasized.

Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen said the festival is one of Hanoi's key programs in 2025, jointly organized with the ministry under the theme "Connecting potential – Adding value – Sustainable development".

The event underscores Hanoi's central role in the national OCOP program and highlights the international stature of Vietnamese agricultural products.

In recent years, the OCOP program has delivered impressive results in both scale and quality. Nationwide, more than 18,200 OCOP products have achieved three-star ratings or higher.

Hanoi leads the country with 3,463 products, accounting for 20% of the national total, including nine five-star products, 19 potential five-star products, 1,576 four-star products and 1,859 three-star products.

OCOP products have driven a shift from fragmented production to value-chain linkages.

Statistics show that over 60% of OCOP producers record average annual revenue growth of 18%, forming a multi-value rural economic ecosystem and enabling Vietnamese products to reach more than 60 export markets.

Vice Chairman Quyen said the OCOP program serves as a strategic solution to shape a sustainable ecological agriculture model linked with preserving and developing craft villages and traditional handicrafts.

"OCOP products have affirmed their role in building cultural industries, directly improving material and spiritual life in rural areas, boosting tourism and promoting Vietnam's image internationally," he said.

The festival has promptly honored OCOP achievements associated with digital and green transformation and provided orientation for future product development.

The event also promotes and honors outstanding OCOP products and producers, ignites pride and cultural value and contributes to entrepreneurship and rural economic development.

Under the theme "Unlocking Potential – Connecting Values – Sustainable Development", the festival strengthens production and trade connections among localities nationwide and internationally.

The event enhances value-chain linkages, improves product competitiveness and creates spaces for innovation, experience sharing and product and packaging renewal.

During the festival, organizers honored exemplary national OCOP producers, hosted the forum "Improving quality and developing OCOP products" and introduced exhibition spaces themed "Vietnam – Convergence and Diffusion", featuring regional OCOP zones, five-star OCOP areas, handicraft creation spaces and culinary experiences.

The festival also includes an international OCOP and digital transformation space, showcasing OCOP and similar products from other countries and linking them with smart, green and culturally distinctive rural tourism.

In addition, organizers opened culinary and beverage areas celebrating Vietnamese tea culture, flower and ornamental displays for Tet (Lunar New Year) and the "OCOP Vietnam Livestream Day" to promote digital trade through TikTok Shop.

Cultural and artistic activities, craft exchanges among domestic and international artisans, a three-region culinary gala, bird show performances and other side events further enrich the festival atmosphere.

Notably, the festival introduces a more than 300-meter-long oil painting themed "Vietnam – The Country and Its People", depicting rural achievements through fine art. The work has set a national record as the longest three-region landscape painting to celebrate new rural development and OCOP.

The OCOP Vietnam Festival 2025 runs from December 20 to December 23, 2025.