Developing grassroots cultural life associated with building new rural areas and civilized urban areas

Implementing the National Target Program on building new rural areas (NTM) and civilized urban areas, Ninh Binh province always identifies culture as a solid spiritual foundation and a driving force for socio-economic development. In recent times, the movement "All people unite to build a cultural life" has spread widely, creating changes in the awareness and actions of the community, contributing to the formation of a safe and healthy cultural environment and increasingly improving the material and spiritual life of the people.

New rural appearance of Nam Hong commune. Photo: Viet Du

After completing the national target of building new rural areas (NTM), three provinces: Ha Nam, Nam Dinh , Ninh Binh (old) continue to enter a new phase with a focus on building advanced NTM and model NTM.

After merging administrative units and operating two-level local government, Ninh Binh province continues to identify cultural factors as a core criterion, deciding the sustainability of development, associated with the criteria: environment, tourism , traffic safety, green, clean and beautiful landscape.

The Department of Culture and Sports has closely followed the directives of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee, synchronously deployed programs and plans on developing grassroots culture; developed propaganda content, organized the implementation of the Party and State's guidelines, policies and laws on festival management, family and building a cultural lifestyle in the new situation.

The guidance and urging of the implementation of cultural criteria in the construction of advanced and model new rural areas are regularly deployed. Localities in the province have innovated the content and form of propaganda, mobilizing people to respond and participate in the movement "All people unite to build a cultural life" associated with the construction of advanced and model new rural areas and civilized urban areas.

The models: “Bright - green - clean - beautiful - safe new rural commune”, “Worthy village to live in”, “Model residential area”, “Civilized street”… have been widely deployed. In the communes, wards and new residential areas after the merger, the movement to build a cultural life has created a vibrant competitive atmosphere, forming a civilized lifestyle, a friendly culture of behavior, creating cohesion and solidarity in the community.

Many localities have creative ways of integrating the building of cultural families and cultural residential areas with criteria for economic development, environmental protection, and building bright, green, clean, and beautiful rural landscapes.

Cultural facilities and institutions: village/hamlet/residential area cultural houses, indoor and outdoor sports areas, community libraries, entertainment areas are invested in construction, upgrading, repairing, and supplementing equipment.

Developing traditional carpentry in Co Le commune, contributing to increasing income for rural workers. Photo: Khanh Dung

Up to now, 100% of communes and wards have standard cultural centers/houses; 100% of villages and residential groups have community cultural and sports venues. The system of grassroots cultural institutions has been invested synchronously, meeting the people's requirements for enjoying and creating cultural values.

The mass physical education and sports movement has developed strongly, attracting more than 31% of the population to participate in regular exercise. In the areas of communes and wards after the merger - where the cultures of the communities intersect, many cultural and artistic activities are organized enthusiastically, richly and diversely in many forms.

Performances, festivals, cultural and sports festivals on the occasion of holidays, Tet, and local political events are organized enthusiastically, creating community cohesion, contributing to preserving and promoting traditional cultural values.

The Resolution of the Party Congress of communes for the 2025-2030 term all include cultural criteria in the assessment of the level of completion of the goal of building advanced rural communes and model rural communes. Many advanced rural communes and model rural communes have an average income per capita of 70-100 million VND/year, and the material and spiritual life of the people has been significantly improved.

In urban areas, the movement "All people unite to build civilized urban areas" is promoted, focusing on implementing civilized lifestyles in weddings, funerals and festivals.

In the central wards: Hoa Lu, Nam Hoa Lu, Tam Diep, Trung Son, Nam Dinh, Dong A, Thien Truong, Thanh Nam, Vi Khe, Phu Ly, Kim Bang, Ha Nam, Chau Son..., the rate of people participating in activities at cultural houses, clubs of the Elderly Association, Women's Association, Youth Union reached over 80%. In fact, the movement to build a grassroots cultural life in Ninh Binh has created a strong spread. Many new models and creative ways have been and are promoting effectiveness, such as the models: "Developing craft villages associated with community tourism", "Multi-functional communal cultural houses", "Self-managed residential areas", "Grassroots cultural and sports clubs"...

In many localities, cultural houses are not only places for meetings and activities, but also places to connect the community, organize skill classes, cultural and artistic exchanges, and disseminate laws to the people.

The work of building a civilized urban lifestyle is associated with urban infrastructure improvement, building green, clean and beautiful public spaces; strengthening urban order management, ensuring aesthetics and environmental sanitation. Festival activities are organized methodically, imbued with traditional values, contributing to the development of tourism, trade and promoting the image of Ninh Binh as a civilized, friendly and hospitable place.

To assess the substance and effectiveness of the implementation of movements and promptly orient grassroots cultural activities, in September 2025, the Department of Culture and Sports organized an inspection of festival management, cultural life building and family work in 17 communes and wards in the province.

According to reports from the authorities and field surveys of festival areas, village cultural houses, administrative headquarters and community activity sites, in addition to positive results, the work of building grassroots cultural life still has some difficulties, especially in terms of personnel for this work, especially in newly merged communes and wards. In some places, the evaluation of cultural titles is still formal, club activities and family models are not really diverse.

The working group requested localities to continue promoting the role of the Steering Committee, strengthen coordination between organizations, innovate propaganda work, effectively implement the set of criteria for family conduct; at the same time, promote cultural, artistic, physical education and sports movements, build a civilized lifestyle associated with cultural criteria in building advanced, exemplary new rural areas and civilized urban areas.

To improve the effectiveness of the work of building grassroots cultural life associated with building new rural areas and civilized urban areas, in the coming time, the Department of Culture and Sports will strengthen coordination with functional branches and localities in the province to advise the Provincial People's Committee to perfect mechanisms and policies to integrate cultural criteria in socio-economic development planning; promote propaganda on mass media, promote the role of newspapers, grassroots radio, social networks to propagate good cultural values; strengthen training and fostering of cadres doing cultural work at the grassroots level; encourage socialized investment in culture, build and replicate typical cultural models.

Along with that, focus on managing and exploiting cultural heritage reasonably in association with sustainable tourism development, creating momentum for economic development, preserving identity and forming a healthy cultural environment. Building grassroots cultural life in association with building new rural areas and civilized urban areas is a long-term process and requires the participation of the whole society.

With high political determination, consensus of all classes of people and inheritance, continuing to promote the achieved results, Ninh Binh is gradually affirming the right direction in comprehensive development, harmonizing between economy and culture, between tradition and modernity, so that each village and each neighborhood becomes a living space rich in identity, civilized and happy.

Khanh Dung

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/phat-trien-doi-song-van-hoa-co-so-gan-voi-xay-dung-nong-thon-moi-do-thi-van-minh-251103105231802.html