Resolution No. 11-NQ/TU, issued by the Provincial Party Committee on July 20, 2021, outlines the development of culture, sports, and physical activities in Quang Nam for the period of 2021-2025, with a vision toward 2030. The resolution aims to preserve and promote the unique cultural values and identity of Quang Nam, while embracing global cultural achievements, with the goal of building Quang Nam into a comprehensive and sustainable development model.
Efforts made to preserve and promote cultural values
Quang Nam has a long-standing cultural tradition, shaped by the interaction, inheritance, and convergence of the Sa Huynh, Champa, and Dai Viet cultures during the process of southern land exploration.
The culture of Quang Nam is synonymous with iconic and unique tangible cultural heritage. Quang Nam is home to 458 ranked historical sites, including four special national heritage sites (such as the ancient town of Hoi An and My Son Temple Complex, both of which are also UNESCO World Heritage Sites), 67 national-level sites, 387 provincial-level sites, and the Cu Lao Cham-Hoi An Biosphere Reserve.
In addition to tangible heritage system, Quang Nam is rich in intangible cultural heritage, with one of its most notable aspects being the bai choi singing (a popular folklore style of singing in the Central and South Central regions of Vietnam), which was recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Over the past years, Quang Nam has consistently focused on cultural development and the construction of its people. The province has issued numerous proposals, resolutions, programmes, and plans for investing in the construction and development of culture and people, aligning with the nation's sustainable development goals. It has dedicated resources to build a strong cultural foundation and develop its people.
During the 2012-2023 period, the total budget allocated for the development of culture in Quang Nam Province was approximately 1.992 trillion VND (78.25 million USD). In the field of public investment, during the 2016-2025 period, the provincial budget allocated over 316.065 trillion VND (12.4 billion USD) for cultural activities, excluding funds from socialised investment.
Currently, cultural resources are being recognised in relation to the cultural industries. Among the 13 cultural industries, Quang Nam stands out for its potential and advantages in cultural tourism. This sector is identified as a vital resource and the most direct "path" for promoting Quang Nam's image to the people across the country and international friends.
Among these, the ancient town of Hoi An and My Son Temple Complex are considered national treasures and key identifying features of Vietnamese tourism. By harnessing the potential and strengths of its heritage, Quang Nam's tourism sector has experienced significant growth. In just the first 10 months of 2024, the province welcomed over 6.942 million visitors (a 5% increase compared to the same period in 2023), with estimated revenue from sightseeing and accommodation reaching 6.85 trillion VND (269.1 million USD), up 7% over the previous year, and social income from tourism estimated at over 16 trillion VND (628.6 million USD).
Over the more than 27 years since its re-establishment, Quang Nam has achieved many important and comprehensive accomplishments across all sectors. Once a primarily agricultural province among the poorest in the country, Quang Nam has been able to balance its budget since 2017 and has contributed to the central government’s finances.
The economic growth rate has been high for several consecutive years. Many large projects in the automotive industry and high-end resort tourism have started operations, creating a ripple effect for economic development. The Chu Lai Open Economic Zone continues to be a bright spot, maintaining its leading role in growth. The cultural industry has achieved encouraging initial results, and the budget for investing in cultural sectors has gradually been increased.
Cultural exchanges and international cooperation activities have been promoted vibrantly, achieving significant results. These efforts have contributed to promoting Quang Nam’s culture to the region and the world while also absorbing the finest elements of global culture to enrich the cultural heritage of the province. This creates a solid foundation for the province's rapid and sustainable development in the future.
Turning culture into a development resource
Many questions were raised at the recent scientific seminar themed "Identifying and promoting the cultural and human values of Quang Nam in the new era": What should be done to ensure that the cultural and human values of Quang Nam truly become the local endogenous strength, a key resource contributing to socio-economic development, and help build the province's position, image, and cultural brand in the new context?; What must Quang Nam do to implement the "National Value System, Cultural Value System, Family Value System, and the Standards of Vietnamese People in the New Era"? Finding effective solutions and continuing to promote the cultural and human values of Quang Nam in the new phase, especially to realise the policies and solutions, requires the efforts of the entire political system, businesses, and local residents.
Assoc. Prof., Dr Doan Trieu Long, Director of the Academy of Politics Region III, observed that the cultural and human values of Quang Nam are shaped by its unique natural, geographical, and historical conditions, serving as the foundational factors determining the province's success throughout various developmental stages.
These cultural and human values act as an intrinsic resource and soft power that have driven Quang Nam’s sustainable development in recent years. However, efforts to restore and promote the province’s traditional cultural and artistic values face significant challenges, including limited investment funding that does not meet the demands of cultural activities and human development. Moreover, the cultural and human values of Quang Nam have yet to be fully realised.
Experts and scholars recommend that for the cultural and human values of Quang Nam to truly become intrinsic resources and soft power that drive rapid and sustainable development, the province must implement mechanisms and policies to ensure and attract resources, contributing to the construction and advancement of its culture and people.
Promoting the role of science and technology, fostering innovation, and prioritising the development of well-rounded individuals in Quang Nam should be closely tied to creating a healthy and civilised cultural environment. Greater emphasis should be placed on propagating exemplary models in cultural and human development. The province needs appropriate solutions to leverage the role of literature and arts in education, with a focus on building a school culture and effectively implementing local education programmes in general schools.
Additionally, Quang Nam must identify, build, and enhance political culture and public service ethics among officials and Party members. The province should prioritise the development of a public service culture that meets administrative reform requirements, inspire a development-oriented mindset among officials, civil servants, and citizens, and continue promoting the positive traits of Quang Nam’s people in scientific discourse. It should also address limitations in communication and interaction while effectively overcoming outdated practices still present in parts of the population.
The cultural sector should continue collaborating with localities to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of ethnic minorities and the positive cultural values of folk beliefs. Quang Nam needs to allocate resources to establish key cultural institutions and further empower people as the primary agents of cultural creation, preservation, transmission, and enhancement, as well as the primary beneficiaries of cultural development.
Ho Quang Buu, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, stated that in its development strategy, Quang Nam consistently prioritises the preservation and safeguarding of its indigenous cultural resources while simultaneously developing and promoting a diverse and unique range of cultural-tourism products that reflect the distinctive cultural identity of Quang Nam's people. This is a key task of the cultural sector, contributing to the comprehensive, modern, and sustainable development of the province.
The formulation and implementation of cultural policies must be specific and ensure adherence to general principles for managing, protecting, and promoting heritage. Policies on preserving and promoting cultural values should be integrated into national target programmes and the province's overall development plans to utilise resources effectively.
