At the 11th National Congress of the VFF for the 2026–2031 tenure, taking place from May 11–13, organisations in the literature and arts sector put forward a number of proposals aimed at promoting Vietnamese culture in the new development era.

Renewing mindset, promoting artists’ pioneering role

A conference held on March 20 to disseminate the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress and Politburo Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW on developing Vietnamese culture marked an important step in translating the Party’s major orientations into concrete awareness and action among artists and intellectuals. The event helped the artistic community better understand strategic cultural directions and shape creative activities in line with the country’s new position and development trajectory.

The Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations has also actively contributed to policymaking in the field, with practical perspectives from artists incorporated into the drafting of long-term resolutions and development strategies.

Following the principle of “taking the people as the root,” the Union has transformed emulation campaigns into broad political and artistic activities, notably programmes reviewing 50 years of Vietnamese literature and arts since national reunification in 1975. Through specialised forums and field trips to border and island areas, artists have gained fresh inspiration and creative material reflecting the country’s transformation.

The Union has also identified organisational restructuring and streamlining as a priority to improve operational efficiency.

Viewing the 2026–2031 tenure as a pivotal period for renewal, the Union considers culture and the arts an important endogenous driver of development and has proposed four key groups of solutions.

The first focuses on strengthening engagement with artists through dialogue and specialised forums instead of traditional administrative communication. The Union proposed that the VFF regularly hold meetings with outstanding artists to better understand their aspirations and help bring Party and State policies closer to the artistic community, thereby inspiring works that reflect the country’s renewal and development ambitions.

The second calls for enhancing consultation and social criticism with professionalism and responsibility. The Union seeks closer coordination with the VFF in monitoring and providing feedback on cultural policies, while consolidating specialised councils to contribute opinions on draft laws and socio-economic development plans related to people’s spiritual and cultural life.

Thirdly, the Union aims to accelerate digital transformation and the application of technology to spread cultural values online. Its 2026–2028 information technology infrastructure project is expected to create a digital platform for storing and introducing official artistic works while helping safeguard ideological foundations and positive cultural values in cyberspace.

The fourth solution is to promote people-to-people diplomacy through the “soft power” of culture. The Union proposed stronger institutional support to enable artists to participate more deeply in cultural promotion, exhibitions and translation projects, helping introduce to the world an image of a united, peace-loving and confidently developing Vietnam.

Preserving ethnic minority cultural identity

Since its establishment, the Vietnam Association of Ethnic Minorities’ Literature and Arts has brought together artists and intellectuals dedicated to preserving and promoting the cultural identity of ethnic minority communities. Its members have actively explored and promoted the distinctive cultural, historical and artistic values of ethnic groups and mountainous regions across the country.

Hundreds of valuable works in prose, poetry, music, fine arts, photography and cinema have vividly reflected changes in ethnic minority areas. Traditional cultural heritage has continued to be preserved and promoted, while the beauty of local people, costumes, architecture, folk songs, dances, customs, cuisine and landscapes has been widely introduced, contributing to tourism development and improvements in local socio-economic conditions.

As a member organisation of the VFF, the Association has closely followed the Front’s policies and action programmes, promoting the role of literature and the arts in strengthening national solidarity, developing local culture and introducing the cultures of Vietnam’s ethnic groups to the world.

The Association also called on the VFF Central Committee to continue supporting and guiding the research and implementation of projects, programmes and plans currently being developed by the organisation.

Unlocking cultural strength for sustainable growth in a new era

VOV.VN - Vietnam is placing renewed emphasis on culture and people as foundational pillars and internal drivers of sustainable development, according to key orientations outlined at the recent 14th National Party Congress.