 Quan Ho performers in Bac Ninh province (photo: Baochinhphu.vn) |
Diem village in Yen Phong district, Bac Ninh province, is an ancient actor in the rich history and tradition of the Vietnamese countryside. Diem village is famous as the cradle of Quan Ho folk singing, which was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In the days before Tet (the Lunar New Year), Quan Ho melodies resound throughout the village. Quan Ho singers gather in groups to rehearse for New Year festivals and contests.
Diem village is the only one of the 49 original Quan Ho villages in Bac Ninh that has a temple dedicated to the ancestors of Quan Ho. Bac Ninh now has hundreds of Quan Ho villages. Quan Ho performers receive a monthly stipend and other incentives. After the National Culture Conference in 2021, Bac Ninh created many incentives to encourage artists to teach and promote Quan Ho and other cultural heritages. The Bac Ninh provincial Party Committee has raised the minimum investment for cultural development to 4% of the total budget.
Nguyen Thi Kim Quynh, Chairperson of the Luong Xa Quan Ho Club in Bac Binh city, said: “A year after the National Culture Conference, culture has received strong development support. Units at grassroots level have received more investment, and artists are well cared for.”
 Quan Ho performers sing at the Temple of Quan Ho ancestors. (Photo: vmef) |
The spirit of cultural revival has spread to provinces and cities nationwide. The capital Hanoi is always a leader in promoting culture and people. Hanoi issued a Resolution on the development of cultural industries in the 2021-2025 period, with an orientation to 2030 and a vision to 2045. It allocated 1.4 billion USD to 1,287 relic restoration projects. Thua Thien-Hue mobilized resources to repatriate antiquities of Vietnamese origin which had been taken abroad.
Director of the Thua Thien-Hue provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Phan Thanh Hai said: “Thue Thien-Hue mobilizes social resources to preserve, repair, and repatriate cultural heritages and raise the awareness of the business community. We link their interests to the interests of preserving and promoting heritage values, so people are willing to participate and contribute resources.”
The National Culture Conference changed society’s awareness of the role of culture in lighting the way for the nation. The Government adopted the Vietnam Culture Development Strategy until 2030 as a legal framework to steer and manage building a contingent of cultural staff and a healthy cultural environment, digital transformation, developing a cultural industry, and producing high-quality art programs.
Former Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Communications and Education Dao Duy Quat said: “After the Party General Secretary summed up the National Culture Conference to a theory of cultural development, there were changes in the awareness of, and sense of responsibility for cultural development."
"The Party Central Committee’s Commission for Communications and Education held a conference to establish the National Value System, the Cultural Value System, and the Vietnamese Human Value System. A National Assembly seminar discussed institutions, mechanisms, policies, and resources for cultural development. There have been clear visible changes and specific actions at all levels and in all sectors,” he said.
The 13th National Party Congress and the 2nd National Culture Conference in 2021 called for measures to make culture a national driving force.