Don't let culture... run out of steam!

VHO - Operating a two-tiered government model after the merger of administrative units is posing many challenges to the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage values.

In this context, a suitable management strategy is needed to prevent these culturally rich regions from becoming cultural "lowlands" within the new administrative system.

During the administrative reorganization process, localities across the country have implemented mergers. The two-tiered government model (province - commune/ward/township) helps streamline the administrative apparatus and reduce budget expenditures.

Indigenous culture contributes to enhancing the regional identity after the merger.

However, abolishing the district level means that specialized departments, including the District Department of Culture and Information, no longer exist, leading to a shortage of personnel directly monitoring heritage and culture at the grassroots level.

In mountainous areas and regions inhabited by ethnic minorities, where many valuable tangible and intangible cultural heritage sites are concentrated, a "gap" in management is gradually becoming apparent.

In many places, cultural workers at the commune level are responsible for multiple areas and lack in-depth expertise, while provincial-level departments struggle to comprehensively cover the vast and culturally diverse geographical areas.

In reality, heritage management is not simply about preserving artifacts or registering festivals. It's a long chain of activities, from identifying values, transmitting knowledge, promoting them, to linking them to livelihoods, tourism, and educating the younger generation.

Without a sufficiently capable body to implement these initiatives directly at the local level, the risk of heritage loss, especially intangible heritage such as language, folk knowledge, rituals, and traditional crafts, is unavoidable.

To avoid neglecting cultural "low-lying areas," a comprehensive solution is needed in redesigning the cultural apparatus after the merger. One proposal put forward by many experts is to establish a regional or inter-communal Heritage Management Center, with professional support from the province, while flexibly coordinating with artisans and those knowledgeable about local culture.

Emphasis should be placed on training grassroots cultural officials in specialized areas of heritage preservation, especially in mountainous communes and ethnic minority regions. Instead of having cultural officials兼任 (take on additional responsibilities) such as reception and administrative duties, their responsibilities for preserving indigenous culture should be clearly assigned, working in conjunction with the community to maintain traditions in daily life.

Furthermore, redesigning the cultural budget system is urgent. Resource allocation should focus on localities with a high concentration of heritage sites but lacking the necessary conditions for preservation.

At the same time, it is necessary to expand the mechanism of social mobilization, encouraging non- governmental organizations and businesses to work alongside the people in heritage "revival" programs.

A current strategic requirement is to integrate cultural elements into the two-tiered system of government operation. Heritage should not be seen merely as "the old that needs preserving," but as a dynamic component of sustainable development.

Therefore, all planning, infrastructure development, and tourism development plans in the merged localities need to incorporate the voice of the cultural community.

In the long term, administrative mergers and restructuring should be accompanied by a National Strategy for post-merger heritage preservation, taking into account changes in the administrative apparatus and local specificities.

In this context, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism needs to take the lead in developing a clear legal framework and standardizing heritage management processes, especially in the absence of district-level management.

The involvement of the community, especially folk artisans, the elderly, and young people who love local culture, also needs to be institutionalized through policies that support, reward, and recognize their role.

Traditional culture cannot be preserved solely through heritage certificates; it needs to live on within the community, something that can only be ensured through genuine care and investment.

From restructuring the government to restructuring the mindset of heritage management, the two paths are inseparable. Preventing heritage areas from becoming cultural "low-lying areas" after mergers is a shared responsibility of the entire society, aiming to preserve the identity, memory, and soul of each region within the flow of national development.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/dung-de-van-hoa-hut-hoi-157903.html