80 years of the Cultural sector: A journey of illuminating the way and fostering Vietnamese aspirations

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) said that the ceremony to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Cultural Sector's Traditional Day (August 28, 1945 - August 28, 2025) will take place on August 23 at the Hanoi Opera House, on the occasion of the whole country's celebration of the 80th anniversary of National Day on September 2.

The event is expected to have the participation of about 500 delegates, and will be held solemnly, spreading a spirit of pride, strengthening people's trust in the Party, and at the same time arousing the aspiration to develop a prosperous and happy country.

The 80th Anniversary of the Cultural Sector's Traditional Day (August 28, 1945 - August 28, 2025) will take place on August 23 at the Hanoi Opera House. Illustration photo.

80th Anniversary: Honoring Tradition, Affirming Aspiration

Within the framework of the anniversary, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has carried out many propaganda activities to clarify the role of culture in the revolutionary cause: from the "Outline on Vietnamese Culture" (1943) to important resolutions and directives of the Party during the renovation period. Communication work has been deployed synchronously in the press, digital platforms, social networks, through publications, literary and artistic works, cultural events and even online contests applying artificial intelligence.

Many other practical activities were also organized to spread good models, typical examples in culture, information, sports and tourism , associated with the patriotic emulation movement and studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style. The whole industry launched emulation campaigns, forums, seminars, meetings with generations of cadres, thereby creating a vibrant atmosphere towards the important anniversary.

In particular, on the evening of August 23 at the Opera House, a special art program celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Cultural Sector's Traditional Day will take place with the theme: "80 years of glory and pride - Culture accompanies the nation".

The program consists of two main parts: "Culture accompanies the nation" and "80 years - Imprints of Vietnamese culture", bringing together many special performances such as "The torch lights the way", "Dien Bien Victory", "The country is full of joy", "Great unity - Vietnam's strength"...

The combination of art and politics will depict the heroic 80-year journey, while adding faith and creative aspirations in the new era.

Culture - spiritual foundation, strength that accompanies the nation

Right from the Outline of Vietnamese Culture in 1943, our Party affirmed that culture is a front, and cultural workers are soldiers. Thanks to that orientation, culture became a spiritual strength to encourage the entire people to rise up to gain independence, contributing to the historic victory of the August Revolution in 1945 and the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

On August 28, 1945, the Ministry of Information and Propaganda (the predecessor of today's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) was established, marking an important milestone, opening the 80-year journey of the Cultural sector accompanying the nation.

During the two resistance wars against colonialism and imperialism, culture became a “sharp weapon on the ideological front”, nurturing the belief and strong will of the entire people. The resistance art movements, works of music, paintings, and poetry became a great source of spiritual encouragement, arousing the desire for independence and freedom.

After the country's reunification in 1975, the Cultural sector undertook the mission of healing the wounds of war, restoring spiritual life, and arousing confidence in building the Fatherland. Entering the renovation process, many movements have created widespread influence such as All people unite to build cultural life, Good people - good deeds, Healthy for the country... contributing to building a spiritual foundation and improving the quality of people's lives.

The Party and the State always attach importance to the special position of culture. Resolution of the 5th Central Committee, Session VIII (1998) affirmed: “Culture is the spiritual foundation of society, both the goal and the driving force for socio-economic development”.

In Resolution 33-NQ/TW (2014), the task of building and developing Vietnamese culture and people was emphasized, in order to meet the requirements of sustainable development. The document of the 13th National Party Congress once again set out the requirement of "arousing the aspiration to develop a prosperous and happy country" based on a cultural foundation.

Over the past 80 years, the cultural sector has made great strides in preserving and promoting the nation's rich heritage. Many tangible and intangible cultural heritages have been recognized by UNESCO, such as Hue Royal Court Music, Ca Tru, Quan Ho Folk Songs, Mother Goddess Worship, and Bai Choi Art. This is both a source of pride and a great responsibility in preserving and passing it on to future generations.

Culture does not stop at preservation, but also goes hand in hand with socio-economic development. The fields of performing arts, cinema, fine arts, advertising, cultural tourism, etc. have gradually formed a cultural industry, contributing to GDP growth, creating jobs, and spreading the image of a dynamic and friendly Vietnam to the world.

Aspiration to create and contribute in the new era

Entering the era of globalization and the 4.0 industrial revolution, Vietnamese culture faces many opportunities and challenges. Digital technology opens up new creative spaces, but also requires solutions to preserve and promote national identity in a global environment.

The Culture sector is strongly implementing digital transformation: digitizing heritage, building virtual museums, applying virtual reality technology (VR, AR) in performing arts, promoting the country's image on digital platforms. This is a clear demonstration of creative adaptation, helping Vietnamese heritage get closer to the world, especially the younger generation.

Developing the cultural industry is identified as one of the new growth drivers. According to the Strategy for Developing Cultural Industries in Vietnam by 2030, the goal is to make culture a spearhead economic sector, contributing about 7% of GDP. This is a great aspiration, requiring the joint efforts of artists, intellectuals, creative businesses and the whole society.

The desire for creativity is also reflected in the arousal of national pride and the education of the younger generation. Literary and artistic works, films, and historical plays about the August Revolution, National Day September 2, President Ho Chi Minh, and the heroic martyrs continue to foster ideals, foster patriotism, and strengthen faith. This is a practical contribution to the nation's longevity.

The Culture sector also attaches importance to national solidarity, promoting the identity of 54 ethnic groups, building grassroots cultural life and community living spaces. For the overseas Vietnamese community, cultural exchange and promotion activities have contributed to affirming the enduring vitality of the origin, helping overseas Vietnamese to stay connected and turn towards the Fatherland.

In addition, in the new context, the Culture sector also takes on the additional responsibility of managing press, publishing, and media. This is an honor and at the same time a challenge, requiring continuous innovation and creativity to meet the increasingly high demands on the ideological front.

The 80th anniversary of the Cultural Sector’s Traditional Day is an opportunity to pay tribute to generations who have contributed, and at the same time affirm the position and mission of culture in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland. Culture has demonstrated its role in “lighting the way for the nation” as President Ho Chi Minh advised, being both a solid spiritual foundation and an endogenous driving force for the country to move forward.

Today, the creative and dedicated aspirations of the Cultural sector are to continue the 80-year tradition, to build an advanced Vietnamese culture, imbued with national identity, with enough endogenous strength for sustainable development, and enough influence to affirm Vietnam's position in the international arena.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/80-nam-nganh-van-hoa-hanh-trinh-soi-duong-hun-duc-khat-vong-viet-nam-d366275.html