Establishing a new approach so that culture is always an endogenous resource for development

A performance by the Thai people. Photo: Dao Tuan

Delectricitydistinctive cultural features

Nghe An is a land of culture, the cradle of mandarinate, people, showing the spirit of studiousness, hard work, need to learn and respect for human morality, the writers, military generals... born on this land have contributed to creating the unique appearance of the people of Nghe An. Each period has people, talented people who bring their talents and intelligence to make great contributions to their homeland and country. In the overall common cultural features of each region, each area is mixed with the unique features of the individual, contributing to deepening the unique characteristics of Nghe An's cultural nuances in the common identity of the entire Vietnamese nation.

In the past, most scholars who wrote about the customs of Nghe An highly appreciated the human factor. Phan Huy Chu in “Historical Records of the Dynasties” wrote that Nghe An is a place with: “High mountains and deep rivers, respectful customs, bright scenery, called the land with the most reputation in Nam Chau. The people are harmonious and studious, the products are rich in rare and precious things… With the good energy of the mountains and rivers, many famous and virtuous people were born… It is truly a dangerous place like a copper fortress or a hot pond of water and is the key to the dynasties”.

Tourists visit Uncle Ho's maternal home. Photo: Canh Hung

Bui Duong Lich wrote in “Nghe An Ky”: “This land is bad, the people are poor, but the people are happy with the work they are ready to do for the country, have respect for the king and the emperor, and know etiquette, honesty and shame. The customs are pure and have never been interrupted.”

The late Associate Professor Ninh Viet Giao, through his research works, highly appreciated the cultural factors and people of Nghe An. In the book “Nghe An, the land of talents”, he argued: “Old books often said that Nghe An is a “spiritual land” that gives birth to many “talents”. We believe that only by having talented people can we explain the reason for the spiritual land. Talents are partly due to inborn talent, but mostly due to the will to practice, the spirit of effort to study, cultivate, work, and fight of the individual, combined with the training in the struggle and the help of the masses. Talents often appear in mass movements”.

Women of Nhang Tham village, Chau Cuong commune (Quy Hop) celebrate the great solidarity day. Photo: Dao Tuan

Sparking culturally-based development

Recognizing the true nature, role and important position of culture, the Party's consistent viewpoint from very early on has always considered culture as one of the important pillars that need full and synchronous attention to create the nation's comprehensive strength in the development process. The Party requires to seriously grasp the viewpoint that "culture must be placed on par with economics, politics and society". The recent 13th Party Congress affirmed: "Economic development is the center; Party building is the key; cultural development is the spiritual foundation; ensuring national defense and security is essential and regular". The Resolution of the 19th Congress of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee also clearly stated: "... Promoting the historical and cultural traditions, the people of Nghe An, the will to be self-reliant and the aspiration to rise up; proactively innovating and creating, bringing Nghe An to develop quickly and sustainably...".

It can be said that the elements: "Historical tradition, culture, people, self-reliance and aspiration to rise up" are all precious, long-standing, core values ​​in the character and culture of Nghe An people. However, when looking at Nghe An culture and people, besides the main unique features and precious virtues, there are still manifestations of "the mindset of waiting, relying, conservatism, stagnation, narrow-mindedness, clinging, subjective impatience at different levels..." mentioned in the Document of the 16th Provincial Party Congress more than 15 years ago, which is perhaps still somewhat relevant today.

Playing the first swing at Vac Village Festival, Thai Hoa Town. Photo: Nhat Thanh

Deeply aware and fully grasping the Party's viewpoints and guiding thoughts on culture, especially emphasizing the focus of cultural construction is human development; at the same time overcoming limitations, promoting unique factors so that culture is truly an endogenous resource and a breakthrough driving force for the province, the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee has built programs and plans to investigate, research, evaluate, preserve and promote the good traditional values ​​of Nghe An culture and people, build a humane and healthy cultural environment, contributing to the socio-economic development of the province.

In particular, in the current context, Nghe An, together with the whole country, is moving to a new level of development in terms of quality: a new starting platform, a method of restructuring and renewing the growth model, a development approach based on global integration, modernity, high technology and identity. With that viewpoint and approach, the Provincial Party Standing Committee and the Provincial Party Executive Committee have devoted a worthy amount of time in the working program to discuss and unify resolutions, programs and projects in the fields of culture and human development. Thereby, not only setting out specific goals but also establishing Nghe An's new approach to issues of promoting historical, cultural and human values ​​in a way that is consistent with the trend of the times, stimulating development based on advantages, characteristics and differences.

Specifically, in the working program, the Provincial Party Standing Committee gave opinions on the issuance of a Directive on continuing to strengthen the Party's leadership over the movement "All people unite to build a cultural life" in the province; approved the Project on social sciences and humanities research to serve rapid and sustainable development in Nghe An in the period of 2020 - 2025 and vision to 2030. The Provincial Party Standing Committee and the Provincial Party Executive Committee gave opinions on the 5-year summary report on the implementation of "Resolution No. 05-NQ/TU dated December 14, 2016 of the Provincial Party Executive Committee on building cultural people and cultural families in Nghe An to meet the requirements of integration and development". Thereby, it was determined that the province will continue to implement solutions to raise awareness of the position and role of culture in innovation and sustainable development; Focus on propagating the Party's innovative contents and viewpoints on culture and arts in the Resolution Documents of the 13th Party Congress and the Documents of the 19th Provincial Party Congress. At the same time, continue to build Nghe An people to develop comprehensively, towards truth - goodness - beauty, absorb the cultural quintessence of the times, imbued with the national spirit and cultural identity of Nghe An, associated with perfecting the standards of Nghe An cultural families.

Carving furrows - a beautiful feature in the culture of the Thai ethnic group, performed at the Bua Cave Festival, Quy Chau. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Referring to this issue in the regular meeting of the Provincial Party Committee in December, comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council requested to include the content of building cultural people and cultural families of Nghe An in thematic activities at Party cell meetings; thereby raising awareness of Party committees and authorities about cultural people and cultural families, contributing to positively impacting the implementation of the socio-economic development plan, national defense and security in the locality, improving the quality of life of the people.