Many cultural issues were discussed by experts at the scientific conference entitled "50 Years of Building an Advanced Culture Imbued with National Identity: Some Theoretical and Practical Issues," held at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel recently.

A Tuong performance at the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023. Photo: Le hoi Thiet ke Sang tao

Changing mindset and methods

At the scientific conference, the delegates discussed the achievements, constraints and reasons behind them in creating a progressive culture imbued with national identity, the current progress in fulfilling the task, and the existing problems, directions and solutions for further fulfilling the task in the coming period. 

The leaders of the Central Theoretical Council and the Hanoi Party Committee presided over the scientific conference. Photo: Lai Tan/The Hanoi Times

The most notable papers presented at the conference include "The Party's Perspective on Building an Advanced Culture Imbued with National Identity in the Past 50 Years (1975-2025)" by Nguyen Duy Bac, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics; "Development of Vietnamese Literature and Art in the Past 50 Years (1975-2025)" by Nguyen The Ky, Chairman of the Central Council for Theory and Criticism of Literature and Art; or "Preservation and Promotion of Cultural Heritage Values of Ethnic Minorities in the Past 50 Years (1975-2025)" by Le Hong Ly, Chairman of the Vietnam Folk Literature and Art Association.

Nguyen Van Phong, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, delivers a speech at the scientific conference. Photo: Lai Tan/The Hanoi Times

According to a report at the conference, the 13th National Party Congress set the goal for Vietnam to become a developed high-income country by 2045. It also identified one of the most important directions to be comprehensive human development and the building of an advanced culture imbued with national identity, so that culture can truly become an endogenous force, an impetus for national development and national defense.

However, Pham Van Linh, Vice Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, said that various sectors and levels of government still do not fully understand or give adequate consideration to culture.  Cultural leadership and management are sometimes confused and slow to respond, while investment in culture is insufficient, unfocused, and ineffective.

Harmonizing economic and cultural development

Speaking at the conference, Nguyen Van Phong, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, emphasized that Hanoi is the political and administrative nerve center of the nation, as well as an important center of culture, science, education, economy and international transactions. In particular, its function as a cultural center is one of its distinctive and typical features.

The Metamorphosis Fashion Show at Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023.

With a rich history and thousands of years of culture, Hanoi is always aware that cultural issues are both an immediate task and a fundamental long-term mission. Culture is becoming a central part of Hanoi's development policy as it strives to ensure the harmonious development of the economy and culture. Cultural development enables the improvement of human personality, and human cultivation facilitates cultural development.

According to Dr. Phong, the highlight of the capital's cultural development is that the Hanoi Party Committee in its successive terms has issued major work programs specifically on developing culture and cultivating elegant, civilized Hanoi people.

In particular, the Hanoi Party Committee issued Resolution No.09 on "Developing the Cultural Industry in the Capital City from 2020 to 2025, with an Orientation to 2030 and a Vision to 2045". More recently, the Hanoi Party Committee issued Directive No.30 on "Strengthening the Party Committee's Leadership in Cultivating an Elegant, Civilized Hanoi People". This is seen as a solution to bring about radical changes in establishing and nurturing a cultural value system, a family value system, and human standards of the capital in the new era.

An art performance at Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023.

Culture becomes central to Hanoi's development policy

Vietnamese artist Vu Tuan Dat will join the international cultural event of Hanoi Art Connecting 2023.

Speaking on the policy of developing cultural industries,  Bui Hoai Son, Permanent Member of the National Assembly Committee on Culture and Education, said that cultural industries are becoming a trend and have been identified as an important, sustainable sector that contributes to the country's growth.

He added that in the coming period, the Party and the State should have policy solutions to raise public awareness about cultural industries. At the same time, it is important to ensure coordination among all fields: culture, economy, society, and education, as well as with other important cultural, economic, and social development programs. In this way, cultural industries will become a key development agenda of all ministries and branches, with a vision of 2030.

Contemporary art installations on the Tran Nhat Duat pedestrian bridge contribute to the promotion of pedestrian traffic and the beautification of Hanoi's urban space. Photo: Duy Khanh/The Hanoi Times

Ta Ngoc Tan, Vice Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, emphasized that the conference focused on five groups of issues: analysis and evaluation of 50 years of building an advanced culture imbued with national identity; major changes in the awareness of culture; assessment of achievements and limitations in fulfilling the task; cultural development of two major cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; and prediction of the context and requirements for culture.

"Based on these perceptions, we need to focus more on cultural development. Cultural development is the development of emotional life and especially human development," he said.