The appearance of Vietnamese culture today is the result of thousands of years of building and defending the country and the intelligence and labor of millions of Vietnamese people. In turn, culture is also the core factor, contributing to forging the spirit, soul, and character of Vietnam, as well as shaping the position and stature of the nation in the "sea" of integration.

Lam Kinh historical site - an attractive place to visit, study and research history and culture.

Inner strength

Starting from the “Outline of Vietnamese Culture” (1943) which is considered as the “lighting torch” or the first “cultural manifesto” of the Party, up to now our Party has issued many important resolutions, decisions and directives to build and develop culture in the new period. In particular, Resolution 4 of the 7th Central Committee and especially Resolution 5 of the 8th Central Committee in 1998 on building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture with strong national identity, are considered resolutions of strategic significance on the development of Vietnamese culture in the period of accelerating industrialization and modernization of the country. With those resolutions, our Party once again affirmed that culture is the spiritual foundation of society, demonstrating the height and depth of the development level of a nation; it is the crystallization of the best values ​​in the relationship between people, with society and with nature; is both a driving force and a goal for the country's socio-economic development.

It can be said that Vietnamese culture under the light of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought and the leadership of the Party has made great strides, with many very important achievements, contributing to affirming the important role of culture as the spiritual foundation of society. However, in the context of international integration and exchange in all fields, including culture, which is taking place deeply and strongly as it is today, it is even more necessary for culture to affirm and fulfill its fundamental role in all developments. Because, "if culture exists, the nation exists". At the same time, the internal challenges of culture such as the degradation of political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle in the Party and in society tend to increase. The cultural environment still exists in unhealthy, foreign, and contrary to good customs and traditions; social evils and crimes tend to increase. The preservation and promotion of cultural heritage values ​​are not yet effective, and the risk of fading has not been prevented. Mechanisms and policies on economics in culture, culture in economics, and on mobilizing and managing resources for culture are not specific and clear... All of these limitations and weaknesses have posed urgent demands for preserving and promoting cultural quintessence and reviving national culture, in order to meet the requirements of national renewal and international integration.

In response to practical demands, on June 9, 2014, the 11th Party Central Committee issued Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW on building and developing Vietnamese culture and people to meet the requirements of sustainable national development (referred to as Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW). Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW has set out the "compass" for developing national culture in the current context. That is "Building a comprehensively developed Vietnamese culture and people, aiming at truth - goodness - beauty, imbued with national spirit, humanity, democracy and science. Culture truly becomes a solid spiritual foundation of society, an important endogenous strength to ensure sustainable development and firmly protect the Fatherland for the goal of a rich people, a strong country, democracy, fairness and civilization".

Culture is the spiritual foundation of society, the goal and driving force for sustainable national development, therefore Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW once again affirms the consistent viewpoint of our Party, that is, culture must be placed on par with economics, politics and society. At the same time, building an advanced Vietnamese culture, imbued with national identity, unified in the diversity of the Vietnamese ethnic community, with national, humanistic, democratic and scientific characteristics. Developing culture for the perfection of human personality and building people to develop culture. Building a synchronous cultural environment, in which the role of family and community is emphasized. Harmoniously developing between economy and culture. At the same time, emphasizing that building and developing culture is the cause of the entire people led by the Party, managed by the State, the People are the creative subjects, and the intellectual team plays an important role.

Deep into life

The birth of Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW is considered to have great political value and practical significance. In particular, our Party's close association between cultural development and the development of Vietnamese people is completely appropriate and dialectical. Because people are the subjects that create culture, deciding the nature and characteristics of cultural values.

Preserving and promoting traditional cultural values ​​contributes to improving people's spiritual life.

According to Dr. Nguyen Ho Phong and Master Doan Dinh Lam, “Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW aims to meet the requirements in the new situation of building and developing the country comprehensively and sustainably, as well as advanced development imbued with national identity. At the same time, it is also a powerful, vivid and convincing demonstration of the wisdom and timely adjustment of policies and orientations for cultural development in the face of rapid, profound and comprehensive changes in the political - economic - cultural - social life of the country”.

Based on the important goals, viewpoints and orientations, over the past 10 years, Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW has been widely implemented, creating an important fulcrum for the creation of a Vietnamese culture oriented towards the values ​​of truth - goodness - beauty. Accordingly, the awareness and sense of responsibility of the entire political system and all classes of people for the cause of building and developing Vietnamese culture and people are having positive changes. In the development plans and strategies of the Central and local levels, the task of building comprehensively developed Vietnamese people is placed at the center. Cultural development is increasingly linked to the building of Vietnamese people, gradually becoming one of the important resources for the cause of sustainable development and international economic integration. The role of literature and art in nurturing the soul and emotions of people is highly valued and promoted. The stature and physical strength of Vietnamese people have improved. The quality and effectiveness of cultural activities have been gradually improved. The building of a cultural environment has been focused on, many fine traditional cultural values ​​of the nation and of each region have been inherited. Many cultural heritages have been preserved and promoted. The cultural life of the people has been constantly improved. A number of policies and laws have been issued to create a legal basis for the work of building and developing culture and people. The system of cultural institutions has been invested in and gradually transformed mechanisms and innovated methods of operation. The cultural market has been initially formed. International integration in culture and the absorption of the quintessence of human culture have been increasingly proactive...

However, the implementation of Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW is still showing limitations. It can be mentioned that the construction of the cultural value system and the standard value system of Vietnamese people in the period of industrialization, modernization and international integration has not achieved the set goals. Ethics and lifestyle have degraded alarmingly. The cultural environment has some aspects that are not really healthy. The preservation and promotion of cultural heritage values ​​have not been very effective. The language, writing, customs, habits and typical culture of some ethnic minorities are at risk of gradually fading away... In the face of this situation, correctly recognizing the role and position to put culture in its right place becomes more important and necessary than ever. Because, only when correctly recognizing the role of culture as the soul of the nation, the solid spiritual foundation of society, then culture can truly become a great endogenous strength, ensuring sustainable development. It is also an important foundation for building a prosperous, cultured and civilized Vietnam.

Article and photos: Khoi Nguyen

Lesson 2: Vietnamese people - the core element of national culture.