Many spectators sat on the seats of honour from the diplomatic corps of European countries and the US.

Many Japanese people can sing “Diem xua” in their own language.

Former New Zealand Ambassador Haike Manning once made an MV titled “Hay yeu nhau di” (Let’s love each other) before leaving office.

The crew of the US aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt sang “Noi vong tay lon” (Joining arms) when docked in Da Nang.

They all have a love for Trinh music, sing Trinh music and pass that love on to their compatriots.

Musician Trinh Cong Son and his younger sister Trinh Vinh Trinh. (Photo courtesy of his family)

Musician Trinh Cong Son and his younger sister Trinh Vinh Trinh. (Photo courtesy of his family)

It is not uncommon these days for musicians or singers to have influence outside of Vietnam. The younger generation has Son Tung M-TP, Suboi, BinZ, Vu Cat Tuong, My Tam, and so on. They are favourite vocalists at Asian music festivals and on digital platforms. If Trinh music has been absorbed by generations over the years, imbued with Bob Dylan's anti-war songs and deep lyrical songs, with direct experiences of his own life and career, then the music of the younger generation has begun to conquer the world with performance technology, through state-of-the-art production processes and cross-border distribution platforms. The music industry is growing.

VIETNAMESE BRANDS THROUGH
EACH SMALL IMPRESSION

Vietnamese handicrafts have long been highly valued in the international market. Bat Trang pottery is present in the living rooms of many families in the world and have made inroads into the furniture stores of major brands such as Zara Home, Ikea and H&M.

Chu Dau pottery is known in many arts museums in the world such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, US), the Kyoto National Museum (Japan), the British Museum of London (UK) and the Topkapi Palace Museum (Istanbul, Turkey).

XQ embroidery paintings, My A silks and elaborate lacquer products by Hanoia are the favourite souvenirs of foreign tourists. The US Embassy, the Goethe-Institut and many international organisations are fond of telling Vietnamese cultural stories through Vun Art paintings made of silk scraps.

Artists from Embroidery Art Museum of XQ in Hue performing a stage of embroidery. (Photo: NDO)

Artists from Embroidery Art Museum of XQ in Hue performing a stage of embroidery. (Photo: NDO)

Although not carrying much weight, Vietnam’s film industry has been present and received certain prizes at prestigious film festivals such as the Berlin International Film Festival and the Busan International Film Festival. Meanwhile, Vietnamese paintings are becoming sought after by many collectors in the world.

The painting titled "Shooting practice" by artist Nguyen Thu. (Photo: Vietnam Fine Arts Museum)

The painting titled "Shooting practice" by artist Nguyen Thu. (Photo: Vietnam Fine Arts Museum)

Among the 12 cultural industries, video games are perhaps the products providing the strongest impression. Statistics show that for every 25 games downloaded globally, there is one coming from Vietnam, and the ad revenues of Vietnamese game studios are among the world’s highest. Vietnam currently has 430,000 game developers, 70% of which are targeting the international market.

An image in the game “Lac Viet Adventures”. (Photo: NDO)

An image in the game “Lac Viet Adventures”. (Photo: NDO)

In the field of performance organisation, many art programmes have made a strong impression on the international press, such as ‘Ky uc Hoi An’ (Hoi An Memories show), ‘Lang Toi’ (My Village Play) and A O Show. These programmes not only create a strong attraction to tourists but also contribute to affirming Vietnam’s position in this nascent industry.

A scene in the “A O Show”. (Photo: Fanpage of A O Show)

A scene in the “A O Show”. (Photo: Fanpage of A O Show)

They are still small achievements compared to leading creative economies such as the US, the UK, France, Italy, the Republic of Korea (RoK), and Japan. However, international experts such as Tom Fleming, who was sent by UNESCO to Vietnam, to support the development of creative and cultural industries, affirmed that Vietnam has great potential in this field. These facts show that, in addition to economic and political achievements, culture is a factor that greatly affects the position of the country, contributing to the creation of a national brand and increasing the soft power of the country.

AND THE LARGE
DEVELOPMENT PATH

The RoK’s Hallyu culture wave is a living demonstration of national soft power.

After an extremely methodical strategy for developing the cultural industry, the RoK culture has spread globally in just a few decades regarding music, movies, dramas, and even fashion styles.

The RoK’s Hallyu culture wave. (Photo: habkorea.net/VNA)

The RoK’s Hallyu culture wave. (Photo: habkorea.net/VNA)

The Korean language is actively studied by people in many countries around the world, to learn about RoK culture, listen to RoK music, watch RoK movies and make friends with Koreans.

The K-Pop band, BTS. (Photo: Rollingstone.com)

The K-Pop band, BTS. (Photo: Rollingstone.com)

Visitors Vietnam’s pavilion at the 2022 Francophonie Weekend held in Yèbles Village, Seine et Marne Province, France. (Photo: Thu Ha/VNA)

Yumzhana Daneeva and Marina Timoshchenko are excited about the first "banh chung" (square glutinous rice cake) made by themselves. (Photo: Thanh The)

The design of Vietnamese booth at the 2021 ITU Digital World which opened on October 12, 2021, parallel to the opening ceremony of Ministerial Roundtables of the ITU Digital World 2021. (Photo: Phuc Hang/Vietnam+)

Visitors Vietnam’s pavilion at the 2022 Francophonie Weekend held in Yèbles Village, Seine et Marne Province, France. (Photo: Thu Ha/VNA)

Yumzhana Daneeva and Marina Timoshchenko are excited about the first "banh chung" (square glutinous rice cake) made by themselves. (Photo: Thanh The)

The design of Vietnamese booth at the 2021 ITU Digital World which opened on October 12, 2021, parallel to the opening ceremony of Ministerial Roundtables of the ITU Digital World 2021. (Photo: Phuc Hang/Vietnam+)

Furthermore, we have witnessed the influence of French culture since the colonial period, which has had a profound impact on the way of thinking and living style of many countries, including Vietnam.

American cultural products, from movies and music to other consumer and entertainment products, are also factors that maintain influence in many countries and territories. Russian (Soviet) culture, along with Soviet-era literary, cinematographic and musical works have been deeply ingrained in the lifestyle of a whole generation of Vietnamese people.

These can be vivid suggestions on how Vietnam can build soft power to influence international relations, as well as create sympathy and attachment with the people of other countries.

In addition to agricultural products, aquatic products, seafood, and technology products being exported around the world, which more or less have not yet built a full association with the Vietnamese brand, cultural products are a faster way to spread the national characteristics and the unique personality of the Vietnamese people.

An Ao Dai, a conical hat, a bowl of pho, or a serving of ‘bun cha’ (rice noodle with grilled pork and fresh herbs) can easily establish a typical image of the country's brand. However, a graphic design. a picture, a movie clip or a musical feature have similar power in spreading the image of the country, people, human values, and the breath of life in Vietnam.

If these products become widely popular and further promoted in international markets, then our cultural values can also attain a certain position in the same way the Republic of Korea or Japan have achieved.

A collection of Ao Dai honours tradition and heritages. (Photo courtesy of the organisers)

A collection of Ao Dai honours tradition and heritages. (Photo courtesy of the organisers)

A performance of traditional musical instruments. (Photo: Thanh Lam)

A performance of traditional musical instruments. (Photo: Thanh Lam)

A girl from Pu Peo ethnic minority group. (Photo: Thanh Dat)

A girl from Pu Peo ethnic minority group. (Photo: Thanh Dat)

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A collection of Ao Dai honours tradition and heritages. (Photo courtesy of the organisers)

A collection of Ao Dai honours tradition and heritages. (Photo courtesy of the organisers)

A performance of traditional musical instruments. (Photo: Thanh Lam)

A performance of traditional musical instruments. (Photo: Thanh Lam)

A girl from Pu Peo ethnic minority group. (Photo: Thanh Dat)

A girl from Pu Peo ethnic minority group. (Photo: Thanh Dat)

Of course, a clear strategy, with the synchronised participation of all parties, is needed. However, we cannot scatter investment across all 12 cultural industries. Vietnam's approach, of course, cannot be like that of the Republic of Korea, nor can we pour national resources towards investing massively in a specific economic sector. We often make the mistake of sharing our scanty investment resources across too many areas, or focusing on only one target and ignoring the mutual impact of the remaining industries.

However, a common and unified development goal can be set so as to serve as a development guideline for cultural industries. If the Republic of Korea promotes the influence of culture to increase exports, Vietnam can focus on attracting international tourism. The cultural and creative industries will develop their strategies based on the common goal. With advantages in geography, nature and outstanding cultural characteristics, tourism is still the industry with the strongest potential as a lever for cultural industries.

Foreign tourists visit Quang Phu Cau incense-making village in Hanoi to learn about the cultural and spiritual beauties of Vietnamese people. (Photo: Thanh Dat)

Foreign tourists visit Quang Phu Cau incense-making village in Hanoi to learn about the cultural and spiritual beauties of Vietnamese people. (Photo: Thanh Dat)

In the medium-term plan, Vietnam has set the target of the cultural industry reaching 7% of GDP. This is a hugely ambitious goal that requires an action plan.

Publish: January 2023
Content: Le Quoc Vinh, Chairman of Le Group of Companies and Chairman of Creative Entrepreneurs’ Club.
Translation: NDO
Design: Phung Trang, Vu Hai
Photos: NDO, Thanh Dat, My Ha, Thanh Lam, Thanh The, VNA, Vietnam Fine Arts Museum