Da Nang people with cultural diplomacy

The diplomatic activities of a country or a locality include three main pillars: political diplomacy, economic diplomacy and cultural diplomacy, in which cultural diplomacy is considered the spiritual foundation and is increasingly valued. Through cultural diplomacy activities, the whole country and each province/city strive to achieve more and more achievements in both aspects: absorbing the quintessence of world culture and preserving/promoting national/local cultural identity.

The world cultural heritage of My Son Cham Towers is a typical highlight in the tourism resources, an attractive heritage. Photo: Document

Attractive tourism and heritage resources

For nearly three decades, since "separating" from the common house of Quang Nam - Da Nang to develop together, Da Nang city and Quang Nam province before the merger have both made great efforts and achieved many achievements in both of the above aspects of cultural diplomacy, in which the most outstanding achievement is to effectively preserve/promote the cultural identity of Da Nang - understood as the culture of Quang Nam.

One of the remarkable achievements in preserving/promoting Da Nang's cultural identity in the integration process, through local cultural diplomacy activities, is actively promoting more and more Da Nang cultural heritages to be recognized by UNESCO.

Among the 9 tangible cultural heritages, 16 intangible cultural heritages, 11 documentary heritages and 3 Global Creative Cities of the country that have been honored by UNESCO, Da Nang city and Quang Nam province have 2 tangible cultural heritages, namely Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Temple Complex (honored in 1999); 1 intangible cultural heritage of the Central region's Bai Choi Art (honored in 2017), 1 documentary heritage of the Asia-Pacific Memory of the World Program, Ma Nhai at Ngu Hanh Son scenic spot (honored in 2022) and 1 global creative city in the field of handicrafts and folk arts, Hoi An (honored in 2023), contributing to spreading the brand of Da Nang city and Quang Nam province to the world.

Not to mention, in 2009 Hoi An also had Cu Lao Cham Biosphere Reserve which was included in the list of World Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO (the whole country currently has 11 World Biosphere Reserves).

These local cultural heritages recognized by UNESCO have become a tourism resource that attracts visitors and continues to spread to the world through foreign visitors. That is the best way to preserve/promote Da Nang's cultural identity in the integration process.

In addition, the event that the reliefs on nine bronze cauldrons in the Hue Imperial Palace of Vietnam were officially recognized by UNESCO as a Documentary Heritage of the Asia-Pacific region in 2024 is also considered a resource of cultural diplomacy, contributing to promoting many cultural and natural heritages of Da Nang city and Quang Nam province.

Another remarkable achievement in preserving/promoting Da Nang's cultural identity in the integration process, through cultural diplomacy activities, is that in addition to organizing many international cultural and sporting events right in the locality, such as the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival DIFF, Da Nang International Marathon, IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam Competition; Da Nang Asian Film Festival DANAFF; Golf Festival and Asian Golf Tournament; Vietnam - UK Football Festival with the theme Legendary Red/The Red Dream; Vietnam - Japan Festival, Vietnam - Korea Festival; Da Nang International Yoga Festival, Quang Nam International Yoga Festival, Quang Nam International Kite Festival...

...Da Nang city and Quang Nam province have also actively participated in international cultural events held abroad, considering it a way to preserve/promote cultural identity in the integration process.

I participated in the 35th ITI World Congress, held in the ancient city of Segovian, Spain in 2017; or the 3rd China National Reading Conference held in Kunming City, Yunnan Province in 2024... It can be said that these are valuable forums for Da Nang people to have the opportunity to practice cultural diplomacy, directly introducing to international friends the cultural highlights of their locality.

Take advantage of "information technology" capabilities

Another notable achievement in preserving/promoting Da Nang's cultural identity in the integration process, through cultural diplomacy activities, is to take advantage of the "information technology" capacity of literature and art. For example, participating in competitions or screening Vietnamese and Da Nang films at three Da Nang Asian Film Festivals DANAFF 2023, 2024 and 2025. Organizing annual art performances at the Vietnam - Japan, Vietnam - Korea Festivals..., especially through sending Da Nang art troupes to perform abroad and vice versa.

According to the memorandum of understanding signed in late September 2022 between the Association of Literature and Arts of Da Nang City and the Association of Culture and Arts of Daegu City, each year a delegation of artists from this city will visit Daegu to exchange arts with artists from the other city. On that basis, in October 2023, the Da Nang delegation visited Daegu and in June 2024, the Daegu delegation visited Da Nang.

At the 2023 meeting, in the cultural exchange program of the two localities held at the Queen Vell Hotel, the Daegu side mainly performed instrumental music but not as diverse as the Co Tu instrumental music of Meritorious Artist Trinh Manh Tau with the solo flute "The Call of the Forest". It should be added that the Co Tu flute is a unique musical instrument, without a hole to press the notes, the artist uses the force of the breath to create sound and melody. The Cham dance "Variations from the Ancient Statue" by choreographer Nhu Ha, performed by dancer Le Nguyen Bao An, was also very impressive.

In particular, the performance of the Korean song “Arirang” by singer Quang Hao made a difference for Da Nang when Daegu admitted that they did not have time to prepare a Vietnamese song for the exchange.

After attending the opening of the Daegu - Da Nang art photography exhibition, which included 20 art photography works of the City Art Photography Association showing the development of Da Nang city over the past two decades, the Da Nang delegation was also invited to participate in the Daegu Arts Festival 2023...

In 2024, when the Daegu delegation visited Da Nang, artists from the two cities were also very successful on the stage of Nguyen Hien Dinh Tuong Theater with performing arts imbued with the national spirit of the two Korean and Vietnamese peoples. Also at this meeting, artists from the two cities also exchanged visual arts with many works of art photography, fine arts and architectural projects at APEC Park - a place that clearly demonstrates the spirit of international integration of Da Nang.

It should be added that APEC Park Da Nang is also a cultural diplomacy product that takes advantage of the ability to touch the heart of sculpture art, so right after the opening ceremony of the Da Nang - Daegu visual art exhibition, the leaders of the Union of Literature and Arts Associations of Da Nang City invited the Daegu artists to visit and take souvenir photos at the exhibition of the sculpture titled "The Beginning: Creating new momentum, together cultivating the future" of Korea and the sculpture titled Origin of Vietnam.

In addition to the existing achievements, on the threshold of the nation's rising era, Da Nang people need to promote the strengths of local cultural diplomacy in recent years in both aspects of absorbing the quintessence of world culture and preserving/promoting national/local cultural identity; but more importantly, it is necessary to continue promoting the soft power of cultural diplomacy.

Cultural diplomacy is using culture to do diplomacy, while cultural diplomacy focuses on the culturally imbued behavior of foreign affairs officers in particular and of each individual Da Nang person in general when going abroad and when communicating with foreigners right in their homeland, so that everyone is worthy of being a cultural ambassador of Da Nang.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/nguoi-da-nang-voi-ngoai-giao-van-hoa-3310176.html