Path for unified, diverse culture charted at Hanoi seminar
Cultural development in Vietnam must extend beyond preserving or reviving traditions, embracing a broader strategy that fosters shared values under the ethos of “unity in diversity”, mutual respect, and inclusive, peaceful and sustainable growth, heard a seminar in Hanoi concluded on September 30.
Hosted by the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA), the event sought to shape a cohesive Vietnamese culture from 1975 to 2025, highlighting the nation’s journey toward cultural unity amid diversity.
In his opening remarks, HCMA Deputy Director Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Duy Bac described the past 50 years as a long and strategic journey to weave a unified yet diverse Vietnamese culture, syncing with historical shifts and yielding major achievements.
Culture has emerged as a form of “soft power”, Bac observed, noting its role in sculpting Vietnam’s national identity and elevating Vietnam’s global stature in an era of global integration.
Yet, as Assoc. Prof. Bui Hoai Son, full-time member of the National Assembly’s Committee for Socio-Cultural Affairs pointed out, the cultural sector faces pressing hurdles, like a tangle of overlapping regulations, investments that favour concrete infrastructure over human creativity, and the struggle of local content to hold its own in the relentless churn of the digital age
To fix these shortcomings, Son called for a strategic response: empowering communities as genuine stewards of their cultural heritage, targeted investment in artisans and their successors, harnessing technology to amplify traditional values, and instilling cultural education early to ensure that younger generations carry forward Vietnam’s legacy with pride.
Echoing this view, Assoc. Prof Pham Duy Duc from HCMA underscored the urgent need for a comprehensive and flexible cultural policy, one capable of safeguarding myriad ethnic identities while countering trends that erode time-honoured values.
Other scholars advocated for a refinement of cultural theory, alongside policies to foster a Vietnamese culture that is modern and innovative, yet deeply rooted in national identity, and ready to fuel sustainable growth in the new era.
Vietnam, a multi-ethnic nation, is a vibrant mosaic of traditions, reflected in its lifestyles, customs, beliefs, arts, cuisine, and indigenous wisdom.
Since reunification in 1975, the Party and State have placed strong emphasis on building a unified yet diverse culture to consolidate national solidarity and pool resources for reform and progress.
First World Culture Day to be held in Hanoi this October
VOV.VN - The first-ever World Culture Day in Hanoi will be jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Hanoi People’s Committee at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel on October 4 - 5.
