Culture is the soul of a nation!

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - Culture is likened to a sparkling diamond, crystallized from countless sweat and tears shed during labor and from the blood and bones of people in struggles against natural disasters and foreign invasions. Therefore, the longer a nation's history of formation and development, the deeper its culture, with a richer and more valuable cultural identity. In turn, culture, with its finest and most exquisite values, contributes to shaping the soul and spirit of the nation.

Visitors listen to presentations about the construction process and artifacts related to the Ho Dynasty Citadel heritage site.

Vietnam – a nation that has endured thousands of years of struggle against foreign invaders to gain and maintain independence, and just as long as it has battled natural disasters and enemy attacks to build its villages, homeland, and country. This glorious historical tradition is the incredibly rich "material" that has nurtured and forged a progressive Vietnamese culture, deeply rooted in national identity. It is a culture that reflects the soul, spirit, and character of Vietnam, with its noble and enduring qualities and values ​​of patriotism, solidarity, compassion, harmony, tolerance, resilience, and courage.

When discussing culture, people sometimes view it from a narrow perspective. On the surface, or in the narrow sense, Vietnamese culture is a vast treasure trove, encompassing a rich system of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. However, it would be insufficient to encompass its depth and affirm its role and position as an intrinsic force for sustainable development if culture were viewed only in this narrow sense. The essence of Vietnamese culture, rooted in traditional patriotism, resilience, and compassion, also encompasses the spiritual activities of society such as science, education, literature, art, and ethics. Furthermore, culture is a hidden factor, playing a role in promoting the improvement of many areas and aspects of life, such as political culture, leadership culture, workplace culture, and corporate culture. Even more broadly, culture is a reflection of the level of social development, from its primitive beginnings to the most brilliant civilizations of humankind.

Ultimately, whether in a broad or narrow sense, culture refers to the finest, most distinctive, and progressive values ​​that have been refined, distilled, and nurtured through the long historical process of struggle and development of a nation and its people. In return, culture is not only the anchor of the nation's soul, but also becomes an intrinsic resource, a spiritual foundation that constantly drives society forward and develops. To put it most broadly: "Culture illuminates the path for the nation" (President Ho Chi Minh ).

For culture to effectively fulfill its role as a guiding light, the first and most important step is to correctly and profoundly understand the role, meaning, and importance of culture. From its inception, the Party has firmly grasped and emphasized the role of culture. In the "Outline on Vietnamese Culture" (1943), the Party identified culture as one of the three fronts ( economic , political, and cultural) and developed culture in three directions: National – Scientific – Popular. Based on this orientation, the Party has issued many important resolutions, such as Resolution No. 5 of the 8th Central Committee on building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity; Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW of the 9th Central Committee meeting of the 11th Party Congress on building and developing Vietnamese culture and people to meet the requirements of sustainable national development... These are groundbreaking resolutions that honor the status and affirm the role of culture. At the same time, it aims to clarify the essence of Vietnamese culture, a comprehensively developed culture, oriented towards truth, goodness, and beauty, imbued with national spirit, humanism, democracy, and science...

Deeply rooted in the national cultural heritage, Thanh Hoa's culture is a very special stream. On the one hand, Thanh Hoa's culture can be likened to a mirror reflecting the quintessential values ​​and essence of Vietnamese culture with its rich identity; on the other hand, it possesses its own unique characteristics, linked to the history of the region and the cultural features of the ethnic groups living alongside it. If we categorize culture into tangible and intangible forms, Thanh Hoa has very typical representatives. One such example is the Thanh Hoa Citadel, a World Heritage site.

The lake – a magnificent stone architectural structure, showcasing the intellectual prowess, creativity, and skillful craftsmanship of the Vietnamese people. It is the Lam Kinh National Monument – ​​the “memorial capital” of the Later Le Dynasty, a dynasty that made immense contributions to national history… Through tireless struggle and labor, our ancestors created a treasure trove of unique intangible cultural heritage, expressed through a rich system of folk literature genres, customs, festivals, and beliefs… It is thanks to this rich intangible cultural heritage that historians and cultural researchers have “lifted the veil of mystery surrounding folk religion and beliefs, gradually revealing the historical reality and the magnificent stature of the named and unnamed heroes who created and beautified the glorious tradition of nation-building and national defense of the Thanh Hoa region” (Dr. Hoang Minh Tuong).

Culture is both a product of creativity and a fundamental element contributing to improving people's lives, as well as an important driving force for sustainable development. Therefore, placing culture in its proper position, and allocating resources to invest in culture, has become an objective necessity. In recent years, along with focusing on economic development, the Party Committee and government of Thanh Hoa province have always paid attention to the cultural cause and considered culture an important pillar promoting sustainable socio-economic growth and development. Based on this, hundreds of billions of dong have been spent on preserving and restoring historical sites and restoring and protecting intangible cultural heritage, seeing this as a way to cherish and connect with the roots of national culture. At the same time, emphasis has been placed on building a safe, healthy, and civilized cultural environment, contributing to combating social evils and creating an environment for people to develop morally, intellectually, physically, and aesthetically.

In particular, the promulgation of Resolution No. 17-NQ/TU, dated July 4, 2024, of the Provincial Party Committee on continuing to build and develop Thanh Hoa's culture and people in the new era, not only aims to strengthen the Party's leadership over cultural development but also creates a foundation for culture to truly be placed on par with economics and politics. The Resolution emphasized a core, profound, and comprehensive viewpoint: Thanh Hoa's culture and people are not only the spiritual foundation but also a solid material foundation, an endogenous resource, and an important driving force for the province's rapid and sustainable development. Therefore, building and developing Thanh Hoa's culture and people must be based on preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values ​​of the homeland; while proactively and selectively absorbing the cultural essence of the nation and the times, ensuring suitability and enriching the cultural values ​​of the homeland. In particular, the core focus of cultural development is the comprehensive development of human beings, both intellectually and morally; at the same time, maximizing the human factor, placing people at the center, as the subject, as the main resource, and as the goal of development.

The journey of "cultivating" cultural values ​​is not a linear path, nor is it a process of replication following a fixed pattern. Culture runs alongside life, reflecting the reality of life in a vivid and profound way. Therefore, culture is truly the soul of the nation, the soul of Thanh Hoa province. First and foremost, it is crucial to successfully carry out the cultural revival or protect the core, quintessential, and most exquisite cultural values ​​of the nation – a major goal and task set forth by our Party. At the same time, we must strive to nurture and cultivate new, positive cultural values ​​based on adequate investment in cultural development and investment in people. In particular, we must focus on both creativity and cultural enjoyment, so that culture not only brings new values ​​to life but also creates a "soft power" to promote the sustainable development of Thanh Hoa province.

Text and photos: Khoi Nguyen

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/van-hoa-la-hon-cot-dan-toc-258717.htm