After the merger, Vinh Long province became a locality located in the central part of the Mekong Delta, bordered to the north by Dong Thap province, to the west and south by Can Tho city, and to the east by the East Sea with 130 kilometers of coastline. The new province, with its vast territory, is a land rich in historical and cultural traditions, where three ethnic groups – Kinh, Khmer, and Hoa – have lived together for generations, creating a unique culture for a land known as "a land of spiritual significance and outstanding people."
The merger opens up a broader cultural space, connecting regions rich in tradition and providing artists with access to a wealth of diverse materials to inspire their creative work.
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| Presenting the Van Xuong Literature and Arts Awards of Vinh Long Province in 2020. Photo: Phuong Thuy |
Opening up cultural spaces
Vinh Long also boasts numerous prominent historical and cultural relics such as: Long Ho Citadel, Van Thanh Temple, Cong Than Temple, the tomb and temple of poet Nguyen Dinh Chieu, the memorial area of Chairman of the Council of Ministers Pham Hung, the memorial area of Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet, the memorial area of Professor and Academician Tran Dai Nghia, the memorial area of Heroine General of the People's Armed Forces Nguyen Thi Dinh, and the memorial area of Heroine Martyr Nguyen Thi Ut (Ut Tich)...
Vinh Long boasts many recognized forms of folk literature, such as the recitation of Van Tien poems, traditional opera, folk music, and Phu Le folk singing... along with numerous festivals such as Ky Yen, Ok Om Bok, Chol Chnam Thmay, Tra Ong Lang Festival, Dai An Lantern Festival, Cau Ke Vu Lan Thang Hoi, and My Long Sea Worship Festival…
If we consider only the artists and writers of the Literature and Arts Associations of the three provinces of Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, and Ben Tre after the merger, the total number of members is nearly 900, of which over 200 are members of the Central Literature and Arts Association. This is considered a fairly strong force, representing a significant strength in literature, poetry, music, and painting for the province today.
Previously, when dividing the region for organizing competitions, exhibitions, and festivals, the Mekong Delta region included 13 provinces. However, after July 1, 2025, the Mekong Delta region will only have 5 provinces and cities: Vinh Long, Dong Thap, Can Tho City, An Giang, and Ca Mau.
Adhering to the Party's viewpoint that "Culture is the spiritual foundation of society, the goal and driving force for sustainable national development. Culture must be placed on par with economics, politics, and society"; "Building and developing culture is the undertaking of the entire people, led by the Party, managed by the State, with the people as the creative subjects, and artists and intellectuals playing an important role"; and the current aspiration of artists is that the "flow of culture and arts" after the provincial merger and consolidation of associations must continue to develop more strongly, with higher quality and greater effectiveness.
The five-yearly arts and culture awards, annual arts and culture awards, and thematic competitions must continue to be organized, becoming an urgent task, demonstrating the Party and State's concern for culture and arts, and highlighting the role of artists as both creative subjects and responsible citizens and citizens.
Looking back at the literary and artistic awards and the authors who were honored.
For the former Vinh Long province, the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee have a policy of organizing the Van Xuong Cac Literature and Arts Award (every 5 years). This award aims to recognize and posthumously honor authors and groups of authors whose works, collections of works, projects, or groups of projects have outstanding ideological and artistic value, reflecting the land and people of Vinh Long through the periods of resistance, national construction and defense, and the country's renewal; thereby commending, encouraging, and promoting creative literary and artistic activities in the province during the period of integration.
The former Ben Tre province, with the Nguyen Dinh Chieu Arts and Culture Award (held every 5 years), aims to recognize individuals who have worked, lived, fought, contributed, and achieved outstanding results in the field of arts and culture. Additionally, the award honors individuals in the fields of healthcare and education.
Prior to the provincial merger, in April 1975, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Southern Vietnam and the reunification of the country (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), the Ben Tre Provincial Party Committee and People's Committee organized the 3rd Nguyen Dinh Chieu Literature and Arts Award ceremony, honoring 19 individuals. Thirteen authors were recognized in the field of literature and arts, three outstanding doctors in the field of medicine, and three outstanding teachers in the field of education and training.
Tra Vinh province, while not holding a five-yearly arts and culture competition, has contributed many famous artists to the national and local arts scene, including People's Artist Vien Chau, and many stage and film artists such as Hong Anh, Ngo Thanh Van, and Thanh Thuy. It is also home to many active Khmer artists and artisans, such as Meritorious Artists Thach Chan, Thach Sung, Sang Set, and Meritorious Artisan Lam Phenh. In particular, the Anh Binh Minh Khmer Art Troupe has made significant contributions to the preservation of Khmer traditional culture. Along with artists from various central and local fields, Tra Vinh actively works in literature, photography, fine arts, music, theater, film, architecture, dance, folk art, arts and culture of ethnic minorities, and arts and culture criticism.
Although the Tra Vinh Provincial Association of Literature and Arts did not hold a literary and artistic awards ceremony every five years, its recent publication is commendable. The Association has published an anthology commemorating 50 years of literature and art in Tra Vinh province (1975-2025), showcasing over 350 award-winning works by local artists and writers over the past 50 years. This partly reflects the enduring influence of culture and arts, and the contributions of Tra Vinh's artists and writers throughout the nation's history.
Awaiting the Provincial People's Council Resolution.
The current challenge is that after the provincial merger, the consolidated association must continue to leverage the strengths of the province's arts and culture, and the province's artists and writers, in terms of both quantity and quality. The goal is to produce works of high ideological and artistic value. The Provincial Arts and Culture Association should quickly develop a plan and advise the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee on assigning tasks and commissioning projects.
The creation and promotion of literary and artistic works must contribute to serving the political tasks and socio-economic development of the province in the new period, especially to successfully implementing the Party's resolutions on culture and arts, such as the recent Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW dated January 7, 2026, of the Politburo on the development of Vietnamese culture.
To establish a basis for implementing and organizing periodic five-year and annual arts and culture competitions, the Arts and Culture Association and related sectors, particularly the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, are actively advising the Provincial People's Committee on the process and documentation to be submitted to the Provincial People's Council for the issuance of a resolution stipulating the content and expenditure levels for competitions, contests, performances, festivals, and awards in the field of culture and arts within the province.
After the funding issue is resolved, the name of the five-yearly and annual arts and culture award must also be considered. What should the name of the five-yearly arts and culture award be? Should it be the Van Xuong Cac Arts and Culture Award of the former Vinh Long province, or the Nguyen Dinh Chieu Arts and Culture Award of the former Ben Tre province, or should another name be chosen that is comprehensive and encompasses the three regions of Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, and Ben Tre?
For annual specialized arts and culture awards, it is proposed to name them after famous authors who have made significant contributions to the field of arts and culture, such as the Le Anh Xuan Award in poetry; the Ta Thanh Son Award in music; and the Vien Chau Award in theater…
In the context of many institutions being restructured, the Association of Literature and Arts needs to quickly consolidate and innovate in both organization and activities. The association must become a "common home" for artists, fostering unity, solidarity, love for the profession, and a desire to contribute in a new creative space.
TRAN THANG
Source: https://baovinhlong.com.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/202604/tim-ten-goi-giai-thuong-van-hoc-nghe-thuat-tinh-5263c51/
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