With these dynamic transformations, culture has truly left profound and promising footprints on the path ahead.
Bustling "run-up"
Perhaps never before has the term “cultural industries” been mentioned so frequently across forums, events, and policy discussions, carrying both profound meaning and tangible impact.
Many localities have proactively identified key focus areas for investment, moving away from the broad, scattered approaches of the past. This shift reflects careful evaluation and research into their unique cultural strengths and potential for adaptation and growth. When placed within the broader framework and demands of the cultural industry, recognised as highly promising yet still in its early stages in Vietnam, these efforts mark a significant step forward.
Decisive actions and impressive new achievements have been most evident in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat (Lam Dong Province), and Hue, which have long prioritised cultural industries. In 2024, with a more focused development strategy replacing previous broad approaches, these cities have witnessed significant qualitative changes in their cultural industries, marked by notable events and transformations. According to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, the city currently has over 17,000 businesses engaged in cultural production and commerce, accounting for 7.74% of all enterprises citywide. The cultural industries' contribution to Ho Chi Minh City's GRDP in 2024 exceeded 5%, underscoring their growing economic significance.
Vietnam continues to be a top destination for renowned international artists, providing momentum for the domestic entertainment market to expand in scope and professionalism. Major acts such as Bond, with their unforgettable Bond Live in Vietnam concert in Hanoi, as well as Westlife, Michael Learns To Rock, and Imagine Dragons, have ignited a passion for high-quality live performances among Vietnamese audiences, especially young people. This international influence, combined with the long-standing impact of Korean pop culture on a significant segment of Vietnamese youth, has set the stage for the unexpected success of two reality TV shows: Anh Trai Vuot Ngan Chong Gai (Call me by fire) and Anh Trai “Say Hi” (Say Hi with Bros). These remarkable milestones in showbiz have been serving as a crucial springboard, inspiring cultural industry professionals to "dream big" about the future of this sector in Vietnam.
Although there is great excitement about the opportunities to demonstrate the tangible economic value of culture, it is fortunate that cultural awareness has been elevated on a broad scale. Young Vietnamese fans enthusiastically follow their idols with as much passion as those from other countries, but they are not blindly devoted. They clearly distinguish between admiration for talent and how their idols conduct themselves. This, in turn, helps shape and refine artists and celebrities themselves, enabling them to maintain their standing in the public eye.
The widespread promotion of positive role models, good deeds for the community, and trends encouraging a more fulfilling lifestyle have become a dominant movement on social media, contributing to a vibrant, dynamic, and humanistic spiritual life. One notable achievement of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports in 2024 was worth mentioning: "Every citizen of Ho Chi Minh City receives free guidance and training in at least one basic sports programme and one form of artistic expression; free admission to public museums under the department's management; and free access to performances organised by its public cultural institutions". These are not just numbers but reflect a genuine commitment to enhancing cultural enjoyment for every citizen—a commendable initiative that deserves to be expanded.
A dream within reach?
At the online conference reviewing the operation in 2024 and outlining key tasks in 2025 for the culture, sports, and tourism sector, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked the sector to improve institutions and remove institutional barriers to mobilising all resources for development while reducing administrative procedures, strengthening decentralisation and delegation of authority, putting an end to the ask-give mechanism, and abandoning the mindset of banning what cannot be managed.
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The Ba Chua Xu (Holy Mother of the Realm) Festival on Mount Sam in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang has just been included in the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. |
The Government leader also noted: "We have the National Target Programme for Cultural Development, but relying solely on state resources makes development very challenging. The cultural sector must actively think and propose policies to promote public-private partnerships, where there is still great potential..."
No success comes without effort. To create a miracle, both ambition and a clear roadmap are required. The progress recorded in 2024 signals the right direction for developing a truly professional cultural industry, and the government leader's clear and specific directives have outlined what needs to be done to turn ambition into achievement.
It can be said that culture is facing a great opportunity to assert its true position as a driving force for development, for the country and every individual!
