Delegate Hoang Ngoc Dinh from Tuyen Quang said the preservation of ethnic minority cultures is facing many challenges. The languages of some ethnic groups are being used by fewer people; artisans are aging; and transmission within communities lacks a stable mechanism.

Dinh said policies are needed to support the transmission and practice of folk and traditional cultural and art forms, ensuring that cultural transfer is carried out continuously and effectively.

“Where cultural identity is maintained, tourism develops more sustainably; where culture is preserved and promoted within the community, there is unique appeal and livelihoods are created for local people,” Dinh said.

This assessment is entirely grounded in practice. Many villages in ethnic minority and mountainous areas have solved sustainable poverty reduction by promoting traditional cultural identity to develop tourism.

For example, Lo Lo Chai village, Lung Cu Commune, Tuyen Quang, has 120 households, mainly of the Lo Lo ethnic group, one of nine ethnic groups with special difficulties in the 2026–2030 period.

Ma Doan Khanh, vice chair of the Lung Cu Commune People’s Committee, noted that unique cultural identity is the valuable asset for villagers to start businesses.

Households engaged in community-based tourism here earn an average of VND16 to VND20 million per month, a figure many families in the lowlands have not reached.

From a remote border hamlet with a high poverty rate, over 51 percent in 2018, by the end of 2025, Lo Lo Chai had only four poor households and four near-poor households.

Nguyen Le Ngoc Linh, a delegate representing the Tho ethnic group, also expressed deep concern over the preservation and development of ethnic minority cultures. 

She believes that efforts to restore, safeguard, and promote identity extend beyond mere cultural narratives; they connect directly to preserving national identity, consolidating the great national unity bloc, and forging the foundation for long-term sustainable growth.

According to the young delegate, from a legal standpoint, Vietnam has a comprehensive policy framework. However, the pressing issue lies in execution gaps. Reality indicates that ethnic minority cultures still face a visible threat of erosion, and the divide between policy and actual life warrants deep reflection.

Many ethnic minority individuals no longer speak their native languages. Traditional attire of various groups is progressively being distorted, losing its authenticity to industrialization. 

Even within the Tho community in Thanh Hoa Province, there are individuals aged 50 to 60 who have never worn their traditional garments, and opportunities for the youth to wear them are even rarer. 

In some communities that successfully retain their heritage, a trend of "theatricalization" has emerged, marked by a fading presence of true "culture keepers" capable of storytelling and passing down ancestral values to younger generations.

Linh believes that current policies remain tilted toward "surface-level" support, failing to directly impact cultural subjects or penetrate deeply into the lives of "culture keepers." 

Specifically, artisans cannot yet survive on their crafts; teaching activities have not transformed into stable livelihoods; and communities do not fully benefit from exploiting and promoting the value of their own heritage.

Delegate Y Bhen Kdoh (Dak Lak) proposed a policy recommendation backed by a heavyweight image: “To keep the gongs echoing, we must first keep the belly warm. Cultural preservation must begin by securing the livelihoods of the creative subjects.” 

Many artisans cannot "keep the cultural fire burning" because of economic hardships. Therefore, support policies should transcend financial subsidies, extending to production tools and tailored livelihoods for artisans in disadvantaged regions.

To preserve and develop ethnic minority cultures, Linh outlines specific solutions:

First, invest with strict focus rather than spreading resources thin; and catalog heritages at risk of erosion and apply an "emergency preservation" mechanism to these assets.

Second, each ethnic group must establish at least one model village or hamlet where identity manifests vividly in daily life and speech; concurrently, individuals carrying an ethnic identity must have access to learning their culture and language at these hubs.

Third, place artisans at the epicenter with mechanisms such as stable compensation, recognizing cultural transmission as a formal profession, and guaranteeing long-term livelihoods.

Fourth, bind culture to the economy in a substantive manner, focusing on community-based tourism and building cultural value chains, while ensuring exploitation does not dilute authenticity.

Fifth, accelerate the culture digital transformation to digitalize heritage, bringing culture onto digital platforms.

Le Duong