Culture is the spiritual foundation of society, the goal and the driving force for sustainable development of the country. President Ho Chi Minh's thought, the Party's policy on cultural and human development has been expressed through many Party Congresses.

Most recently, the document of the 13th Party Congress clearly states: "The fields, types and products of culture have developed more and more diversely, meeting new needs and many aspects of social life" and "Comprehensive development of Vietnamese people has become the center of the socio-economic development strategy".

In recent years, Hoa Binh province has implemented synchronous solutions to develop the culture and human resources to meet the requirements of sustainable development in association with the implementation of Directive No. 05 of the Politburo on promoting learning and following Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality and style and the 4th Resolution of the 13th Party Congress on strengthening Party building and rectification; preventing and reversing the deterioration of political ideology, morality, lifestyle, and "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" manifestations; thereby, upholding the spirit and responsibility of cadres and party members, especially the role and responsibility of the leader in performing the assigned responsibilities and tasks.

At the same time, the implementation of the Resolution of the Provincial Party Committee on the construction and development of Hoa Binh culture and people to meet the requirements of sustainable development of the country in the cause of industrialization, modernization and international integration is identified by the Provincial People's Committee as an important task that needs to be focused on.

Synchronous solutions

Specifically, regarding building and comprehensively developing human personality, the People's Committee of Hoa Binh Province has directed all agencies and socio-political organizations to pay attention to the propaganda and education of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's ideology, viewpoints, guidelines of the Party, policies and laws of the State:

To well perform the planning, training and retraining of cultural leaders and managers; provide professional training courses, create conditions for officials to study to improve their political theory and professional expertise; to organize cultural and educational activities on personality - aesthetics - knowledge in order to build people towards the values ​​of truth - goodness – beauty; effectively carry out the fight against "peaceful evolution" in the field of ideology and culture and fight against wrong views in literature and art in the province.

The Provincial People's Committee has also directed the management and organization of belief and religious activities in Hoa Binh province to ensure solemnity and compliance with regulations, ensure security and order, prevent and control fire and explosion, imbued with national cultural identity and beliefs with unique contents.

The local government has directed to promote the movement "All people unite to build cultural life," contributing to building a healthy cultural environment; to improve the quality of implementation of criteria of "Cultural family", "Cultural village", "Agencies, units and enterprises meeting cultural standards" in association with building new rural areas and civilized urban areas, focusing on expanding the models of cultural families, hamlets, villages and cultural residential areas.

In Hoa Binh Province, nearly 90% of households have been recognized with the title of "Cultural Family". Over 90% of residential areas meet the standards of cultural residential areas, and over 90% of agencies, units and enterprises meet the standards of culture. There are 11 cultural houses at district level, 120 cultural houses at commune level, and 1,550 cultural houses in villages and hamlets, residential quarters and sports complexes of villages, hamlets, and residential groups.

The task of building a cultural environment is associated with the movement "All people unite to build cultural life", the program to build new rural areas and civilized cities has also been implemented well.

The conservation and promotion of tangible and intangible cultural values, and the construction of cultural institutions have received great attention and investment and are supported by local people.

Hoa Binh province currently has 41 national-ranked relics, 61 provincial-level relics, and more than 102 protected relics. The traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic minorities are preserved and promoted. The province has four intangible cultural heritages awarded with the National Intangible Cultural Heritage certificate, namely: Mo Muong Hoa Binh; Gong Art of the Muong people in Hoa Binh; Khai Ha Festival; and Bamboo calendar of the Muong people in Hoa Binh.

The leadership of the Party Committees and authorities at all levels, the propaganda and mobilization activities of the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations on building a civilized lifestyle, practicing thrift in weddings, funerals, festivals, eliminating superstition in accordance with directives, conclusions and plans of the Provincial Party Committee has created a change in the awareness and actions of the majority of people in the province, contributing to maintaining social order, improving material and spiritual life of people. The organization of weddings, funerals and festivals have been renewed in an increasingly progressive direction while still ensuring the preservation and promotion of traditional cultural values, national identity and strict compliance with the provisions of law. 

Recognizing the position and role of culture in socio-economic development, strengthening the political system is an important task to accomplish the goals and tasks proposed by the Resolutions of the Party Congress at all levels. In addition, the construction of culture in doing business has been promoted by all levels and sectors, especially in improving the investment environment, administrative reform, and creating the best conditions for enterprises, creating a legal environment, a transparent, progressive and modern market for cultural products.

The construction of corporate culture is directed on the basis of respecting the law, keeping credibility, healthy and efficient competition, respecting workers' rights, obligations to the State and local authorities, maintaining prestige with partners for sustainable development of production and business. Building and developing brands for local products is identified as a strategic direction to increase competitiveness in trade and promote potentials for economic development.

The Provincial People's Committee has also directed to continue renewing and improving the capacity of State management of culture and arts in the province; to associate the task of socio-economic development, national defense and security with the task of cultural construction and development.

The development of the cultural market in association with the attraction of investment in tourism development has been step by step promoted. Specifically, Hoa Binh completed the research, development and approval of the Muong ethnic script in 2016. The province has also organized classes to teach Muong scripts in Hoa Binh province. The province has cooperated with relevant agencies to preserve the cultural heritage of Mo Muong Hoa Binh and assumed the prime responsibility for compiling a scientific dossier on the intangible cultural heritage of Mo Muong and submit it to UNESCO for registration as an intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent protection.

The province has set up 1,482 art troupes in villages with tens of thousands of amateur artists. These art troupes organize about 10,000 performances each year, serving over two million audiences. Typically, there are some villages that have up to 6 art troupes that regularly perform to serve tourists.

In order to effectively implement the "Strategy for the development of Vietnam's cultural industries to 2020, with a vision to 2030", on April 12, 2017, the Provincial People's Committee issued Plan 39/KH-UBND on the implementation of the Strategy for the development of Vietnam's cultural industries to 2020, with a vision to 2030 in Hoa Binh province. Accordingly, it sets out specific tasks for each field such as: advertising, handicrafts, fashion design, cinema, performing arts, fine arts, photography and exhibitions, in which, cultural tourism becomes a service economy contributing to economic growth of the province.

Hoa Binh is calling for investment in tourism development projects to form high-quality tourist zones, focusing on developing the national tourist areas of ​​Hoa Binh Lake and other localities with tourism potential like Kim Boi, Lac Son, and Lac Thuy.

Quynh Nga