Vietnam is a multi-ethnic country. Each ethnicity has different cultural values creating the richness and diversity of the national culture. This is an important resource for the sustainable development of the country.
Even in the national democratic revolution, the Vietnam Communist Party affirmed the dialectical relationship between economy, politics and culture. From the early years of the renovation period, our Party has addressed the important role of culture in the socio-economic development of the country. In 1987, our Party determined: culture “is a powerful driving force and simultaneously a great goal in the path of socialism construction”[1]. This is further developed in the 7th National Congress, 4th Central Conference Resolution, on a number of cultural and artistic tasks in the immediate years: “Culture is the spiritual foundation of society, a driving force for socio-economic development and a goal of socialism”[2]. In 1998, our Party affirmed in the 7th National Congress, 5th Central Conference Resolution: “Culture is the spiritual foundation of society, both a goal and a driving force for socio-economic development”[3]. Also in this Resolution, our Party has made a viewpoint of implementing two major policies to address the important role of culture in the country’s socio-economic development, which is the cultural policy in the economy and economic policy in culture.
By 2014, after reviewing 15 years of implementing the Central Resolution of the 8th National Congress, comprehensively assessing the implemented contents, the contents needed to be changed to suit the reality, the 9th plenum of the Party Central Committee of the IX session continues to emphasize the role of culture in the viewpoint: “Culture is the spiritual foundation of society, the goal and the driving force for sustainable development of the country”[4]. Also in this plenum, the Party made a more specific economic policy in culture through the development of cultural industry in parallel with building and completing the cultural market. Development of the cultural industry is not only about exploiting and promoting the unique values of the national culture for the sustainable development of the country, but also focusing on realizing the role of culture in social life.
To realize the Party’s point of view, the State has promoted the promotion of cultural resources towards sustainable development. First of all, the State focuses on perfecting institutions, creating a favorable legal environment to build and develop cultural domains and cultural markets. Gradually improving the legal system also helps the cultural management to be implemented better and creates a solid foundation for the development of the cultural industry.
From 2000, the National Assembly has passed many laws related to cultural fields such as Law on Cultural Heritage in 2001, amended in 2009; Law on Cinema 2006, amended in 2009; Law on Physical Training and Sports in 2006; Law on Publishing in 2012; Law on Press in 2016; Law on Access to Information in 2016; Law on Beliefs and Religions in 2016; Law on Tourism in 2017; Law on Advertising in 2018; Law on Cyber Security in 2018; Law on Intellectual Property in 2019, Law on Library in 2019 … along with many sub-law documents, guiding the implementation of the law.
In addition to the gradually perfecting legal system, in 2016, the Prime Minister issued a Decision approving the Strategy for the Development of Cultural Industries in Vietnam to 2020, with a vision to 2030. The strategy was affirming the viewpoint “Developing cultural industries based on creativity, science and technology and intellectual copyright; Making the fullest use of the economic factor of cultural values” and “Developing cultural industries associated with the promotion of the image of the country and people of Vietnam, contributing to the protection and promotion of national cultural identity in the process of international exchange, integration and cooperation”. The strategy also identifies the branches in the cultural industry that already had the advantages: cinema; arts performing; advertisement; handicrafts; entertainment software and games; television and radio; fashion; cultural tourism. Some other branches in the future development orientation are: architecture; design; publish; art; photography and exhibition.
On that basis, the provinces/cities across the country have developed plans to implement the Strategy for the development of Vietnam’s cultural industries to 2020, with a vision to 2030. This is how the intention of developing cultural industries to each local is carried out. Even, many localities have developed plans and schemes to develop each field of the cultural industry that the locality has strength in, especially the development of cultural tourism. It can be said that the development of the cultural industry is an important factor contributing to better management and promotion of cultural heritages of ethnic groups in Vietnam. Through this policy, cultural values and heritage are not only factors for us to affirm our nation’s roots, be proud of our father’s glorious history, but also become an important source of motivation promoting socio-economic development towards sustainable development.
For many years, cultural heritages and cultural values have become the important resources to strongly promote socio-economic development of localities throughout the country. For example, the Northern mountainous provinces have paid great attention to promoting the cultural values of ethnic groups for socio-economic development. The provinces in this area have many ethnic groups such as: Thai, Mong, Kinh, Dao, Tay, Ha Nhi, Giay, Kho Mu, Lu, Lao, La Hu, Hoa, Muong, Si La, Mang, Cong, Khang, Nung … Each ethnicity has its own customs, traditions, unique festivals, friendly people, honesty, hospitality. The highland fair is a place that shows very clearly the cultural characteristics of the ethnic groups here. Determining this as an advantage for socio-economic development, the provinces have advocated for tourism development, especially tourism in association with the community, tourists can be “three together” with local people in a comfortable and friendly way. The localities here have all affirmed: Promoting ethnic cultural values in tourism development is the strength of the region. Therefore, the provinces have built up tourism development plans and schemes. Along with the development of cultural tourism are the programs to restore and develop traditional craft villages, preserve and promote the unique and special cultural values of the ethnic groups in terms of architecture, costumes, arts, beliefs, indigenous knowledge … associated with the natural landscape of each region.
Over a long period of implementing the Party’s viewpoint, realizing economic policies in culture, we have achieved many great achievements, opening up new development opportunities in the future. Such as:
- Our national cultural heritages and ethnic cultural values are preserved and promoted in social life. In the process of industrialization, modernization, urbanization and international integration, many people worry about the decline and gradual loss of ethnic cultural values in Vietnam. However, with the exploitation of ethnic cultural values and cultural heritages in economic development, it has helped authorities and people increasingly understand the value of their own cultural elements. That has made people more active and proactive in preserving their ethnic cultural values. That has contributed significantly to maintaining the titles awarded by UNESCO to the cultural heritages of Vietnam over the years. We are proud to mention the names honored by UNESCO for a long time and are increasingly becoming an attraction for domestic and foreign people to look for such as: Central Highlands Gong Culture Space, Hue Royal Court Music, Quan Ho Bac Ninh Folk Songs, My Son Sanctuary, Giong Festival of Phu Dong and Soc Temples, Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark… In addition, it is the people’s awareness of the ethnic cultural value that people have preserved and promoted it in daily life. This has helped Vietnam have more cultural heritages honored by UNESCO in recent years, such as the Art of Don Ca Tai Tu (Southern Folk Music; Vi and Giam Folk Songs of Nghe Tinh; The Art of Bai Choi Singing in Central Viet Nam; Practices of Then by Tay, Nung and Thai Ethnic Groups; Non Nuoc Cao Bang Global Geopark … It shows that the economic policy in culture has made important contributions to the better management and promotion of the richness and diversity of Vietnamese culture in the period of renovation and international integration.
- Promoting cultural diversity effectively has become an important resource for promoting economic activities, especially for the development of tourism, moderate and small handicraft industry. The process of implementing economic policy in culture together with the intention of socializing cultural activities have diversified the economic sectors participating in cultural activities, mobilized all forces to participate in cultural activities and destroyed the exclusiveness of the State cultural units. Many families of ethnic groups have actively participated in tourism activities, especially in the form of community-based tourism and in stages of community-related tourism. In particular, they have enthusiastically and actively participated in the production of traditional products, bringing them into circulation in the market. Thus, with the process of promoting and engaging cultural values into socio-economic development, people have achieved their own cultural values better. They have actively participated in the construction and formation of unique local tourism products. For example, the people of Lai Chau province have formed unique and attractive cultural tourism products such as the Púamcap Relic, the Mong Ethnic Cultural Hamlet in connection with the Gia Khau 1 Cave System, Sin Suoi Ho Hamlet, Vang Pheo Hamlet, Si Thau Chai Hamlet, Na Khuong Hamlet, Hon Hamlet… Some localities have made traditional festivals important elements of local tourism such as Then Kin Pang, Kin Lau Khau Mau, Nang Han, Tu Tu, Bun Voc Nam, Gau Tao Cha, Tu Cai, Temple complex of King Le Thai To and national treasures associated with the swallowtail boat racing festival … Even in Na Khuong, when visitors are attracted by the water wheel, people have actively set up 30 large water rolls with accommodation services, clothing rental … to meet the needs of visitors. Not only that, people have turned ecological and humanistic values into unique tourism products such as tea hills, terraced fields, orchards …
In particular, the revenue earned through those economic activities not only belongs to the State, localities, companies and businesses, but also to the community and local people. This is an important factor for people to appreciate and understand more clearly about the values of traditional culture. Since then, they are more active and proactive not only in economic activities but also in preserving and promoting the ethnic cultural values. This is the factor that ensures the sustainable development of the locality and the country.
- Economic development in culture has made an important contribution to promoting an economic restructuring towards a green, clean and sustainable economy. Researchers believe that economic development in culture does not only make cultural values disappear, but also contributes to the preservation, promotion and dissemination of those cultural values to different spaces. On the contrary, cultural values also change the economic thinking of economic managers and activists. For example, the economic activities in the areas with cultural heritages recognized by UNESCO must be carried out in line with the protection of natural landscapes and strictly enforce the conservation of heritages in specified areas. Therefore, we no longer see rampant coal mining that changes the natural landscape and pollutes the environment in Quang Ninh (where Ha Long Bay heritage is located). Ninh Binh province has closed a series of local cement factories to protect the Trang An Landscape complex. The people of Cao Bang have turned to organic farming to protect the title of Cao Bang Global Geopark … Researchers all affirm that if the economy is developed at all costs, even if the cultural heritage and cultural values are damaged, we only achieve a little of the immediate economic benefit then everything will be lost. But if the economic development is based on cultural values and cultural heritages, we will not only preserve the heritage and promote cultural values but also have comprehensive and sustainable development.
It is the promotion of these cultural heritage values in economic development that have created a lot of jobs and stable incomes for people. For the Trang An Landscape Complex in Ninh Binh in 2018 only, the total number of visitors reached over 2.9 million, gradually creating 6570 direct jobs for local people with an average income of about 3.5 – 5 million/person/month. It can be said that the development of cultural tourism here has completely changed the face of Ninh Binh Province, especially the communes of Truong Yen, Ninh Xuan and Ninh Hai. In these communes the economic structure has changed from agriculture to tourism services. People’s income is stable, social security is guaranteed, the quality of life of the people has been improved markedly. In these communes, the proportion of poor households decreased from 14% in 2010 to 2.76% in 2019, now 17% of households claim to have a rich and well-off living standard. The people have affirmed that tourism brings a lot of benefits to the socio-economy and local people.
Promoting cultural values in the economy also contributes to restoring, reviving many traditional jobs of the locality and developing new professions. For example, in Duong Lam, Hanoi, after when the Duong Lam Ancient Villages became a national-level cultural heritage, the people have promoted local tourism. Along with the development of tourism here, many local traditional professions have been restored and developed such as making Tuong sauce. Tuong sauce in Duong Lam is equally delicious with other regions such as Ban, Nam Dan, Cu Da areas … but few people know it. As tourism develops, the job of making Tuong sauce here also develops and becomes the main profession of many families, bringing high and stable incomes for people. In addition, many rural gifts such as sweets, peanut candy, and Lam tea (made from ground glutinous rice) have also become popular products that are loved by tourists. Making peanut candy, sweet candy, and Lam tea quickly became a local profession with the participation of many families. Tourism development also stimulates people to restore the local specialty of the sugarcane chicken.
- An outstanding achievement that we have to mention is the profound change in awareness from the leadership level to the people about the important role of culture for the local socio-economic development and the sustainable development of the country. There has been a time when we have seen that the cultural values of ethnic groups, especially ethnic minorities, are in danger of diminishing and disappearing. However, along with the State’s efforts to preserve and promote ethnic cultural values, the promotion of economics based on cultural values of each ethnic group has been gradually implemented and achieved some achievements. The successes in some pioneer localities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Thua Thien Hue … have gradually changed the perception of leaders and managers across the country and the people. Successful models of promoting cultural resources for socio-economic development have been spread throughout the country. The movement to develop cultural tourism, community-based tourism, traditional crafts, treatment and healthcare with knowledge and indigenous medicinal plants … is carried out in many localities. Along with that is preserving and promoting the richness and diversity of ethnic cultural values in daily life. Obviously, the awareness of leaders, managers and citizens about the role of culture in sustainable development has changed and is gradually reflected in each development policy, especially economic policy in culture. This policy is widely deployed across the country with many different models, suitable for the strengths of each locality. That has brought many great achievements.
- Expand the promotion of the local and the country image on the international arena. Through the export activities of cultural products, the image of the country, people and culture of Vietnam has been advertised to many countries, attracting the attention of other countries. Vietnam’s many unique cultural values have attracted the attention of international organizations since it was recognized domestically. For example, the ancient Vietnamese villages in Duong Lam have coordinated with JAICA of Japan in activities to preserve and exploit the cultural heritages of the village to develop tourism. Pu Dao Commune (meaning “the highest point” in Hmong language), towering on the top of a high mountain in Nam Nhun district, Lai Chau Province, was voted one of the 5 most attractive destinations in South East Asia in 2006 by the British travel agency Gecko Travel. The commune of four Hmong villages here is located in a remote and secluded place, but always attracts tourists not only by the unspoiled natural landscape, the most beautiful viewpoint of the Da River, but also by the innocent smiles and the innocent eyes of young children, the colorful dresses of the Hmong girls, by wooden houses thatched with grass; by the traditional farming practices and by the pure cultural elements. The poetic beauty of the heritage of Ha Long Bay, Phong Nha – Ke Bang, Trang An had attracted the Kong: Skull Island film crew (an American blockbuster released in 2017) to come and choose Vietnam as the main shooting point. Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts expressed his good feelings for Vietnam: “I’m sure the audience will love Vietnam as much as I do… The experiences in Vietnam have changed me a lot, I was really impressed with the culture as well as the people here. Perhaps nothing can make me happier than being able to introduce the unbelievably incredible history of this country to the world”. In 2020, 5 spots from Vietnam are among the top 20 locations for travellers, voted by Hostelworld (while 2 spots are from Indonesia, 1 from Thailand, 2 from Philippines, 1 from Jordan, 1 from New Zealand, 1 from Spain, 2 from Portugal, 1 from the US, 1 from Lebanon, 2 from Japan and 1 from the UK).
However, besides the achievements of economic policies in culture mentioned above, there are still some limitations to the implementation of these policies, such as :
- Public awareness of these policies is not comprehensive and accurate enough. Therefore, many cultural values have been over-exploited economically but merely touched on in terms of their educational, aesthetic and scientific sides.
- The implementation of economic policies in culture has not been uniform, so a healthy, comprehensive and unified cultural market has not been formed. Individual businesses still prioritize their own benefits over the development of the market as a whole, which makes it even harder for the government to achieve policy uniformity on a regional and national scale. Therefore, the fact that similar products are still widespread has reduced cultural values, and deprived the diversity and richness of ethnic cultures.
- The mechanism of cultural and economic coordination in sustainable development has not yet been clarified. As a result, a great number of cultural heritages have been ignored, violated or over-exploited.
In order to continue the implementation of the economic policies in culture, as well as overcome limitations and encourage more achievements, we propose some recommendations as follows:
- Completion of the cultural market: First of all, it is necessary to continue to perfect the legal system to suit the country’s development trends, in which attention should be paid to the international legal system. In addition, it is necessary to ensure the integrity and fairness in law enforcement.
- Replicating successful models in industrializing culture based on multiculturalism, which can be achieved through the form of cultural exchange, as well as wide media coverage.
- Pay more attention to the implementation of economic policies in rural, remote, isolated areas and islands … In fact, these are places where the economy is underdeveloped, but possess unique cultural heritages and values, which are an important resource for the region’s socio-economic development. This is considered a cultural strength that needs to be exploited better and more effectively.
- The government should adopt a policy to support the promotion of the national cultural heritage and values to other countries in the region as well as around the world. Along with it is the mechanism to promote the export of cultural products. In addition, subjects participating in cultural activities must know how to make good use of opportunities for development such as their own destinations ranked by international organizations, or destinations of major cultural activities in the world.
REFERENCES
- Central Executive Committee: Resolution of the Politburo: To renew and improve the leadership, manage the literature, arts and culture, promote creativity and bring artistic and cultural literature to a new step, No. 05-NQ / TW, 1987.
- Communist Party of Vietnam: Document of the Fourth Conference of the 7th Central Committee, 1993.
- Communist Party of Vietnam: Document of the Fifth Conference of the VIII Central Executive Committee, National Political Publishing House, 1998
- Communist Party of Vietnam: Document of the Ninth Conference of the XI Central Executive Committee, Party Central Office, 2014.
- Pham Duy Duc (Editor): Cultural development in Vietnam in the period 2011-2020 – Trends and solutions, National Political Publishing House, 2010.
- Pham Duy Duc, Vu Thi Phuong Hau (Co-editor): Culture in politics and culture in economy in Vietnam – some theoretical and practical issues, The Truth National Political Publishing House, 2020 .
- Pham Xuan Nam: Culture for development, Publisher. Social Science, 2005.
- Luong Hong Quang: Creative Industries in Vietnam – Institutional Environment, Market and Participation, World Publishing House, 2018.
- Prime Minister: Decision approving the Strategy for the development of Vietnam’s cultural industries to 2020, with a vision to 2030, No. 1755 / QD-TTg, dated September 8, 2016.
Senior Lieutenant General, Deputy Minister of Public Security, Associate Professor Nguyen Van Thanh
[1] Central Executive Committee: Resolution of the Politburo: To renew and improve the leadership, manage the literature, arts and culture, promote creativity and bring artistic and cultural literature to a new step, No. 05-NQ / TW, 1987, p.3.
[2] Communist Party of Vietnam: Document of the Fourth Conference of the 7th Central Committee, H. 1993, p.51.
[3] Communist Party of Vietnam: Document of the Fifth Conference of the 8th Central Committee, National Political Publishing House, H.1998.
[4] Communist Party of Vietnam: Document of the Ninth Conference of the XI Central Executive Committee, Party Central Office, H. 2014.
