Building Dong Nai's urban cultural identity

Dong Nai City solemnly held a ceremony to mark Marquis Nguyen Huu Canh’s Commemoration Day at Nguyen Huu Canh Temple (Tran Bien ward), recognized as part of the national intangible cultural heritage.

In addition to economic growth, Dong Nai is concentrating on creating a modern and integrated urban cultural identity. This is seen as a strong spiritual foundation and a crucial internal resource for the city to achieve breakthroughs and grow quickly and sustainably in the new era.

The city must embody the "soul" of Dong Nai

In recent years, Dong Nai has witnessed rapid urbanization, with a series of transport infrastructure projects, urban areas, and commercial centers being developed in a synchronized manner. Alongside this strong growth, however, the preservation of cultural identity within the urban space has become an increasingly pressing issue.

People’s Artist Giang Manh Ha, Chairman of the Dong Nai Literature and Arts Association, stated that a city is not merely a place to live, but also a crystallization of history, a cultural space, and the representative image of a locality. Amid the current pace of development, Dong Nai faces a major requirement: not only to achieve rapid growth, but also to develop while preserving its identity and creating distinctive features associated with the Dong Nai brand. According to him, this means Dong Nai City must not only expand its urban space but also elevate the quality of that space, becoming a city with cultural depth and a unique imprint reflected in its architecture, landscape, and community life.

“Building iconic structures that reflect the characteristics of Dong Nai is essential. In particular, bridges should serve not only as transport links but also as cultural and architectural symbols if they are systematically invested in terms of ideas and design,” Ha said.

According to researchers, Dong Nai’s urban identity today should be shaped by the core values of a land with nearly 330 years of formation and development. These values include the river-based culture associated with the Dong Nai River system; a dynamic industrial tradition; and traditional craft villages rich in historical significance, such as Bien Hoa pottery and the Buu Long stone craft village. They also encompass the cultural convergence of communities from many regions, reflected in the friendly, warm-hearted, civilized, and modern characteristics of the people of Dong Nai.

Hoa An Bridge, connecting Tran Bien and Bien Hoa wards, is decorated to celebrate the establishment of Dong Nai City. Photo: Nguyen Anh Trong

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Toi, Head of the Dong Nai Branch of the Viet Nam Folk Arts Association, stated that Dong Nai’s identity cannot be separated from the identity of the Vietnamese people. According to him, the cultural identity and people of Dong Nai must remain connected to their historical roots, respect traditional values with depth, integrate diverse cultural influences, and possess the capacity to harmonize different cultural currents. In the process of development and international integration, the people of Dong Nai continue to absorb and apply new advances as a resource for growth, while utilizing digital technology to help promote the values of the city’s culture and people to the world.

Alongside investment in modern infrastructure, Dong Nai has prioritized the development of open cultural spaces to create favorable conditions for residents to enjoy an increasingly better spiritual life. In Tran Bien Ward, a number of parks have been invested in and developed, including Bien Hung, Nguyen Van Tri, Quyet Thang, Ky Niem, and Lam Son parks, along with flower gardens arranged in several areas throughout the ward. Meanwhile, Binh Phuoc Ward has invested in the construction of 13 parks and flower gardens, as well as two public squares. These spaces not only meet the needs of community activities but also contribute to shaping a civilized and modern urban landscape.

Turning heritage into a living cultural space

The development of Dong Nai’s urban identity must go hand in hand with conservation efforts. However, conservation today is no longer about preserving heritage in a static manner, but about enabling heritage values to continue living and spreading in modern society. Dong Nai currently possesses a rich and diverse treasure of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Many historical and cultural sites have become impressive landmarks for residents and visitors, including the Tran Bien Temple of Literature, the Nguyen Huu Canh Temple and Tomb complex, Ong Pagoda, the site marking the establishment of the Indochinese Communist Party Cell in Thuan Loi commune, and the Ba Ra Mountain–Thac Mo site in Phuoc Long ward. These heritage values are regarded as an important foundation for shaping Dong Nai’s urban identity.

In addition to its tangible cultural heritage, Dong Nai is home to Southern amateur music (Don ca tai tu), which has been recognized by UNESCO as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, along with 11 national intangible cultural heritages. These cultural values are not only a source of pride for the people of Dong Nai but also a valuable cultural resource for developing the city’s urban identity in the new period.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Cong Hoan, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Tourism at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education, the development of a sustainable urban cultural identity requires Dong Nai to closely combine heritage conservation with tourism development and modern cultural services. Rather than pursuing conservation in a static manner, historical relics, traditional craft villages, and cultural spaces should be promoted as experiential “touchpoints,” enabling visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural values of Dong Nai.

In particular, many destinations in Dong Nai, including Bien Hoa, Long Thanh, and Nhon Trach, are expected to gain significant opportunities for breakthroughs once Long Thanh International Airport becomes operational, with visitor arrivals to the province projected to increase substantially. This will also provide favorable conditions for Dong Nai to develop distinctive cultural products, thereby helping shape the image of a modern city that still retains its distinctive identity.

With a growing contingent of architects, artists, and creative communities, Dong Nai City is expected to develop public art works bearing its own distinctive imprint in the future. When art is positioned appropriately within the urban development strategy, it can become an important driving force for the development of cultural industries and tourism, while also enhancing the spiritual and cultural life of residents. This will contribute to building a city that is not only modern in appearance but also rich in emotion and imbued with identity.