Stepping stones for the development of cultural industry

All can become materials to create cultural and artistic products that both honor national culture and create economic value, improving people's material and spiritual life.

Together with the local ethnic minorities such as Ede, M'nong, J'rai (Western region) and Cham, Ba Na (Eastern region), Dak Lak has become a common home of 49 ethnic groups living together. The diversity and richness of customs and traditional cultures of the regions have created the unique characteristics of the land and people here.

Outstanding cultural features include traditional craft products such as brocade weaving, weaving, pottery, sculpture... to unique festivals such as Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival, elephant racing festival, fishing festival, bai choi festival... and unique customs such as praying for good harvest, worshiping at the water wharf, worshiping for a new house... In particular, the pride of Dak Lak is the Central Highlands Gong Cultural Space, which has been recognized by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Visitors learn about the process of making filter coffee at the World Coffee Museum.

In addition to the potential of traditional cultural values, Dak Lak also has attractive natural resources with beautiful and diverse landscapes from hills and mountains interspersed with plains and valleys, majestic waterfall systems, large reservoirs and diverse ecosystems, typical of national parks, special-use forests associated with the rivers Serepok, Krong Ana, Krong Bong...

The balance between economic development and identity preservation, between modernity and tradition requires more innovative policies to turn cultural values into unique products that are competitive in the market.

In particular, the merger of Dak Lak and Phu Yen - the combination of forest and sea will be the biggest advantage for developing the local cultural tourism sector. Coming here, tourists can travel from vast forests, gong cultural spaces, majestic waterfalls to long coastlines with pristine beaches, unique Da Dia reefs and rich seafood. This will be the strength to build unique tourism products, meeting the diverse needs of tourists.

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the diversity of national identity with unique cultural values is not only the precious capital and vitality of Dak Lak but also the foundation, driving force and stepping stone for the development of the province's cultural industry.

In mid-May 2025, at the Provincial Museum, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinated to organize the Vietnam - Dak Lak Brocade Fashion Program 2025 with the theme "The beauty of the mountains". There, from costumes bearing the cultural imprint of ethnic minorities, designers have elevated brocade by incorporating this material into the ao dai - a symbol of Vietnamese beauty; to hand-crocheted designs creating new costumes on the basis of the old; or modern, youthful brocade dresses and loincloths...

The program is not simply an artistic fashion show but also has a profound meaning in preserving and developing the value of brocade heritage of Vietnamese ethnic groups. There, brocade is not only fabric but also memory, identity, national origin and a dream of spreading, a desire to develop national heritage materials...

Cuisine - a unique cultural feature of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups in Ea Drong commune.

Realizing the importance of culture in economic development, Dak Lak province has been implementing drastic policies to create favorable conditions for the cultural industry. Typical examples include supporting artisans and villages in teaching crafts, building community cultural spaces and promoting typical cultural products; or investing in tourism infrastructure, developing eco-tours combined with experiencing indigenous culture. Thanks to that, many creative projects have been born, from coffee spaces bearing the Ede cultural imprint, homestays designed in the traditional long house architecture, to music and art projects based on folk materials...

Mr. Tran Hong Tien, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that at the end of 2024, the Provincial People's Committee issued a Plan to implement the strategy for developing cultural industries in the province for the period 2025 - 2030. Accordingly, the Department will advise the Provincial People's Committee to develop a systematic implementation plan, with clear orientations on communication content, policies, human resource development, technology application, market expansion and identity preservation. In particular, focusing on some of the province's strengths such as: Cultural tourism, handicrafts, performing arts, cinema, fine arts, exhibitions, cuisine, architecture...

With the potential and timely attention, the cultural industry in Dak Lak is facing the opportunity to break through. However, the road ahead still has many challenges. The balance between economic development and identity preservation, between modernity and tradition needs to continue to have more breakthrough policies to turn cultural values into unique products, competitive in the market.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/van-hoa-du-lich-van-hoc-nghe-thuat/202509/nhung-buoc-dem-cho-phat-trien-cong-nghiep-van-hoa-66f114e/