Awakening “soft power” of culture (Part 1)

The image of a culturally rich Dong Nai is becoming increasingly prominent in the heart of this dynamic industrial city, ready to accompany new development opportunities for the locality and the nation. This occasion is regarded as a “golden period” for preserving and promoting core cultural values, thereby creating a solid foundation for the city to enter a new era.

The process of territorial expansion led by Marquis Nguyen Huu Canh is reenacted in the artistic epic “Dong Nai – Southern spirit, rising with the nation.” Photo: Cong Nghia

From “old foundation” to “new mission”

More than two years after the implementation of Resolution No. 12-NQ/TU dated December 12, 2023, and Resolution No. 14-NQ/TU dated November 20, 2023, issued by the City Party Committee on building and developing Dong Nai’s culture and people, positive changes have been recorded in socio-cultural life. The system of cultural institutions from urban areas to the grassroots level has been gradually invested in and upgraded; the movement “All People Unite to Build a Cultural Life” has been widely promoted; and many traditional cultural values have been restored and preserved.

Dong Nai currently has 121 recognized relics, including six special national relics, 42 national relics, and 73 city-level relics, as well as nearly 1,500 inventoried common relics. Each year, the city maintains more than 100 traditional festivals, many of which have been recognized as national intangible cultural heritage. These include the Dua Tpeng (Pha Bau) Festival of the Khmer ethnic group, the Ba Ra Temple Festival in Phuoc Long ward, the Cau Bong Festival of the Kinh people in Dong Nai, the Ong Pagoda Festival, the Death Anniversary of Marquis Nguyen Huu Canh, and the Sayangva (Rice God Worship) Festival of the Choro ethnic group in Dong Nai.

The S’tieng ethnic community in Tan Hung commune reenacts the Blessing and Peace Ceremony at the start of spring. Photo: My Ny

However, in the new context, the realization of the Politburo’s Resolution 80 on the development of Vietnamese culture places higher demands on Dong Nai’s cultural sector. Culture must be the spiritual foundation of society, an important endogenous resource, a strong driving force, a pillar, and a regulatory system for rapid and sustainable development. Cultural values must be closely and harmoniously integrated into all areas of social life, from politics, economy, and society to environmental protection, national defense, security, and foreign affairs, thereby truly becoming a source of soft power in the new era.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Toi, Head of the Dong Nai Chapter of the Vietnam Folklore Association, Resolution 80 is not a starting point but a step that builds on and elevates the Party’s guidelines and resolutions on culture. In practical terms, Dong Nai faces the task of integrating and concretizing Resolution No. 12-NQ/TU and Resolution No. 14-NQ/TU into a unified, coordinated action program. This undertaking is not merely a matter of management but also a challenge to identify and promote the cultural identity of the people of Dong Nai within the Southern Key Economic Region.

“Dong Nai is a locality where diverse cultures from many regions, religions, ethnic groups, and residential communities converge. This diversity requires an inclusive and cohesive cultural foundation that respects differences. Especially in the context of expanded development space following the implementation of the two-tier local government model, Dong Nai possesses a rich system of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Planning cultural zones and forming distinctive cultural spaces is therefore a necessary direction,” emphasized Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Toi.

Developing culture in the heart of an “industrial city”

Amid the development of an industrial city, industrial workers and rural residents are the two groups facing the greatest limitations in accessing cultural and spiritual life. In addition to strengthening communication and public awareness activities, Dong Nai has introduced various projects and programs and organized cultural and sports activities for these groups. The city has also allocated land resources for the construction of additional cultural institutions, with priority given to areas with large concentrations of workers, ethnic minority communities, and border regions. This undertaking is regarded as an important foundation for promoting harmonious and sustainable development.

Workers in Dong Nai City participate in cultural and sports activities to improve their spiritual well-being. Photo: My Ny

Dong Nai currently has more than 1.5 million employees working in companies and enterprises, the majority of whom are migrants from various regions across the country. This diversity creates a 'new cultural space' where traditional values intersect, but it also raises the need to care for workers' spiritual lives.

Nguyen Thi Lan, a worker at Pou Chen Vietnam Enterprise Ltd. in Bien Hoa ward, shared, “After work, we truly need cultural spaces for relaxation and social interaction. Cultural programs and contests help us feel cared for and more connected to the place where we work and live.”

Regarding the preservation and promotion of workers’ cultural values, Master Tran Quang Toai, Chairman of the Dong Nai Association of Historical Sciences, stated, “The construction of an exhibition hall dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of workers and industry is extremely necessary. For example, Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park is associated not only with production activities but also with the workers’ struggle movement for national independence. Establishing such an exhibition hall would help strengthen connections with surrounding cultural institutions, thereby honoring Dong Nai’s working class.”

Children of the Cham ethnic community in Long Thanh ward learn the Cham language in their local area. Photo: My Ny

In remote, isolated, ethnic minority, and border areas such as Ta Lai, Phu Ly, Bu Gia Map, Dak O, Bom Bo, Loc Thanh, and Loc Tan, efforts to preserve and promote cultural identity have also been given due attention. Many traditional cultural values of the Choro, Ma, S’tieng, M’nong, and Cham ethnic groups have been restored, preserved, and passed down to younger generations. At the same time, grassroots cultural outreach programs, mobile film screenings, and art performances continue to be maintained. These “cultural buses” not only provide spiritual enrichment but also help build a new cultural life at the grassroots level.

During the 2026–2030 period, Dong Nai aims to complete its system of cultural and sports institutions, ensuring the effective operation of 100 percent of commune-level cultural institutions and 90 percent of village, hamlet, and neighborhood cultural houses. The city also seeks to ensure that 100 percent of the festivals on its list of national intangible cultural heritage are organized regularly and with improved quality. In addition, Dong Nai will continue efforts to restore and promote the value of cultural heritage associated with the history of exploring the Dong Nai land.

Village Elder Dieu Ho of Tan Hung commune shared, “In recent years, the locality has proactively preserved and promoted the cultural values of ethnic minority communities through many practical activities, such as systematically restoring the S’tieng people’s Spring Blessing and Peace-seeking Festival; establishing a gong performance club; and teaching younger generations how to play the lithophone. Village elders and artisans in Tan Hung commune consistently encourage their children and grandchildren to preserve their ethnic language and traditional customs.”

In the context of a new stage of development, improving the material and spiritual well-being of the people is not only an immediate task but also a long-term strategy of Dong Nai City, contributing to harmonious and sustainable development. When culture truly permeates every residential area, workers’ boarding areas, villages, and hamlets, Dong Nai will establish a solid endogenous foundation for development. This source of soft power will become an important driving force helping the city confidently achieve breakthroughs and advance into the new era.