50 years, Ho Chi Minh City still waiting for worthy literary works

On the morning of October 18, at the Ho Chi Minh City Academy of Officials, the City Party Committee, the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Committee, the Department of Culture and Information, the Union of Literature and Arts Associations, and the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union held a conference to summarize 50 years of literature and arts after the country's reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025).

Attending the conference were Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Tran Luu Quang; Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong; Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Phuoc Loc; Vice Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Tran Thi Dieu Thuy; Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tran The Thuan and many artists who have made outstanding contributions to the Ho Chi Minh City literature and arts.

Hozo International Music Festival is recognized as an event that contributes to building the brand of Ho Chi Minh City.

PHOTO: HOZO - HCMC INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL

Presenting the summary at the conference, Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Duong Anh Duc acknowledged and highly appreciated the great contributions of the Ho Chi Minh City's culture and arts sector, creating a new face in the overall development of the country. The city has built many cultural institutions at the grassroots level, developed a team of artists, promoted international exchanges and cooperation, applied digital technology in production, performance, and promotion of culture and arts, etc. At the same time, it also recognized the limitations that need to be overcome: it has not yet built large, key projects worthy of the city's position, the works of stature and value are still not commensurate with the development process, the treatment of artists is not appropriate, has not created attraction, retained and nurtured talented people.

The conference also clearly identified difficulties and challenges, continued to propose many solutions and "immediate tasks", including focusing on investing in key projects for culture and arts, developing Vietnamese cultural industries in Ho Chi Minh City to become an important service economy , contributing to promoting tourism.

"Special Forces"

At the conference, Ms. Duong Cam Thuy, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Literature and Arts Associations, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Cinema Association, recalled the historic days of April 1975, when a "special force" of artists from various fields marched to Saigon.

"The creative and artistic team of Ho Chi Minh City at that time was formed from the artists of the Saigon - Gia Dinh Liberation Arts Association who had been tested and trained through the resistance war against the US; the large team of artists of the Liberation Arts Association in the R war zone and from the North; along with artists in Saigon... That contribution helped Ho Chi Minh City have a more diverse and energetic creative force than ever before. Hundreds of works in the genres of music, literature, fine arts, theater, architecture, and dance were composed and performed, creating an extremely vibrant atmosphere in the city's artistic life after liberation," said Ms. Thuy.

Many names that appeared brightly during this period are mentioned. Literature includes Anh Duc, Bao Dinh Giang, Le Van Thao, Nguyen Quang Sang, Le Giang, Vien Phuong, Chim Trang, Hoai Vu, Vu Hanh, Son Nam...; music includes Xuan Hong, Hoang Hiep, Diep Minh Tuyen, Phan Nhan, Phan Huynh Dieu, Ton That Lap, Tran Long An...; theater includes Doan Ba, Le Thien, Bach Lan, Le Duy Hanh...; cinema includes Meritorious Artist Khuong Me, People's Artists: Mai Loc, Pham Khac, Hong Sen, Huy Thanh, Lam Toi... After the renovation, the city continued to see the emergence of a new generation of talented artists such as: Nguyen Manh Tuan, Tran Van Tuan, Nguyen Nhat Anh, Ly Lan, Tram Huong, Hua Thanh Binh, Bui Hai Son, Vuong Linh, Dang Hung, Linh Nga, Nguyen Ngoc Thien, Nguyen Van Chung...

A cultural event that contributes to building the brand of Ho Chi Minh City is recognized as the Hozo International Music Festival. The film industry is also praised for its great contribution to the city's GRDP.

After the merger of Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City's cultural space has expanded further, promising to have more diverse cultural and artistic works.

At the conference, the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City was honored to receive the First Class Labor Medal - a noble award of the Party and State, in recognition of the great contributions of the collective unit in the cause of building and developing culture and sports of the city.

Play about Left General Le Van Duyet in Ho Chi Minh City Cultural and Arts Days

On the afternoon of October 18, at the Youth Cultural House (HCMC), the opening ceremony of HCMC Cultural and Arts Days took place to honor the achievements of HCMC's culture and arts over the past 50 years.

Outstanding events: Meeting of artists and writers at the Southern Central Bureau base (morning of October 19); Exchange with writer Trinh Quang Phu about the memoir Following His Footprints (afternoon of October 19); Performance of the drama Duc Thuong Cong Ta Quan Le Van Duyet - the man with nine death sentences (October 19, November 15-16); Discussion on the Youth of Literature in Ho Chi Minh City (October 21); Performance program of the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Culture and Arts Center (October 21); Discussion on the Youth of Literature in the South (October 21)... Next is the art event commemorating the 100th anniversary of playwright Vien Chau in Binh Duong, a mobile screening of the film Red Rain in Con Dao special zone...

Quynh Tran

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/50-nam-tphcm-van-cho-tac-pham-van-nghe-xung-tam-185251018212933142.htm