Cultural belt illuminates the border - Part 1: Soft fences protecting the Fatherland

In the history of building and defending the country, the border area has always been the "fence" of the nation - the place where the waves and winds blow, where the country entrusts its faith and will to defend the country. There, there are not only high mountains and deep rivers, but also a layer of sediment of culture and people's hearts - "soft ramparts" that no force can subdue. In the middle of that border, Tuyen Quang appears not only steadfast because of its mountainous terrain but also because of the strength of people's hearts, identity and faith. Entering the era of integration, when culture is identified by our Party as the spiritual foundation of society, an important endogenous strength to ensure sustainable development, the cultural belt at the head of the Fatherland has an even more strategic significance: building culture is building people's hearts, fostering faith and will to protect national sovereignty. Tuyen Quang Newspaper introduces a series of articles "Cultural belt illuminating the border".

Since ancient times, Tuyen Quang has been considered the "fence" of the country, a land holding an important position in the political, military and cultural strategy of the nation. After merging with Ha Giang , Tuyen Quang not only expanded its development space, but also became a strategic fulcrum - where the "cultural belt" was formed from the souls of 22 ethnic groups, blending into a soft fence of the Fatherland, strong in position, strong in the hearts of the people, and durable in culture.

Interweaving two unique cultures, opening up space for development

Since the 19th century, when King Minh Mang established Tuyen Quang as a provincial administrative unit - the "frontier" protecting Trung Chau - this land has been positioned as the "fence" of the country. Historian Dang Xuan Bang called this place "the steel wall at the border", and the stone stele carved on Tho Son mountain from the 15th century still reads: "Tuyen Thanh forever an Thang Long" - proof of the special position of Tuyen Quang in the history of defending the country.

The Then practice of the Tay, Nung, and Thai people has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, contributing to affirming the international position of Vietnamese culture.

After merging with Ha Giang, that space was further expanded, forming a complete cultural - ecological - economic belt. On the border strip of more than 277 km with China, with 17 communes and 122 new villages, the "cultural belt" of Tuyen Quang province (new) appears like a multi-colored picture, where ethnic groups live together, weaving the brocade of Vietnamese identity.

The cultural belt here not only has geopolitical significance, but is also a modern cultural and social category, formed from the strength of the people, from memories, languages, customs, beliefs, from the Vietnamese spirit crystallized in each village. It is the soft border of the Fatherland, the cultural fence of the nation, where each person is both a creative subject and a soldier preserving sovereignty with faith and identity.

This cultural space opens up great opportunities for Tuyen Quang to exploit and promote heritage values ​​associated with tourism development, economy and spiritual history. The whole province currently has nearly 400 cultural heritages, of which 40 intangible heritages are recognized at the national level. In particular, the Then practice of the Tay, Nung and Thai people has been honored by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity, contributing to affirming the international position of Vietnamese culture.

Tuyen Quang is also the land of nearly 100 traditional festivals, many of which have been restored, organized systematically and recognized as National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Each festival is a “living archive” of identity and belief, a link connecting the past - present - future of the nation.

The whole province currently has 719 historical - cultural relics and landscapes ranked, of which 213 are national relics and 289 are provincial relics. Many destinations have become "historical and cultural markers" such as: Tan Trao Special National Relic Site, Kim Binh Special National Relic Site, Lung Cu National Flagpole... They are also famous tourist areas such as: Lo Lo Chai Ancient Village, Tan Lap Village Cultural Village, Tan Trao Commune; Na Tong Village Community Tourism Village, Thuong Lam Commune,... All are historical and cultural relics, spiritual support, symbols of the steadfast hearts of the people at the border of the Fatherland.

In Tuyen Quang, all ethnic groups have their own languages. 100% of Mong, Dao, Lo Lo, San Chi families... residing in the villages speak their mother tongue. The Nom Tay and Nom Dao heritage is preserved in the prayer books of Then and Tao masters - "folk knowledge treasures" reflecting the depth of spiritual culture. The provincial museum currently preserves hundreds of Han - Nom Tay books, proving the enduring cultural tradition in the remote border area.

On the land bordering the Fatherland today, every house, every festival, every custom, every relic… is a “soft rampart” protecting national sovereignty. When culture takes root in people’s hearts, it becomes the most durable shield, against all weapons, all the most sophisticated tricks - so that the border is not only protected by landmarks, but also by the belief, intelligence and identity of the People.

Sacred cultural fire warms the border

Right from the beginning of the country’s founding, President Ho Chi Minh affirmed: “Culture lights the way for the nation”. That sacred teaching, after nearly eight decades, is still the torch illuminating the path of national development. For Tuyen Quang, culture is not only the core of the village, but also the soft power to enrich, to develop and warm the border.

With the policy of "Using culture to develop tourism, using tourism to preserve and promote culture", Tuyen Quang identifies cultural heritage as a special resource - where the past meets the future. Thanks to that, the tourism image of the province is increasingly affirmed in the international arena with many prestigious titles: one of the 10 most attractive destinations in the world voted by CNN; leading emerging tourist destination in Asia in 2023 and leading cultural destination in Asia in 2024. In 2024 alone, Tuyen Quang welcomed more than 3.2 million visitors, completing and exceeding the target set by the resolution. These results are vivid proof of the resolution of the Provincial Party Committee - when culture truly becomes a pillar of development.

In Tuyen Quang, culture has gone beyond the limits of rituals and museums, becoming the “steel thread” in the structure of sustainable development, the defining fulcrum of the border region. The practice of Then honored by UNESCO, or dozens of national heritages recognized are the launching pad for a dynamic strategy: turning heritage into assets, turning identity into a tourism brand.

Culture - when "awakened" - is no longer a memory but becomes a driving force for development. Lao Xa border village, Sa Phin commune, with 117 Mong ethnic households, has preserved 55 ancient rammed earth houses. Or in Ma Che village, Mr. Van Phong Sai - a 90-year-old Co Lao man - still weaves trays, baskets, and baskets every day. With nearly 80 years of weaving, Mr. Sai not only makes products, but is also "weaving" a thread connecting the past with the present, making the village's weaving profession live forever in everyday life.

If Lao Xa and Ma Che are two bright spots of cultural tourism, the story of Lo Lo Chai village (Lung Cu commune) reaching international stature is the clearest proof of the vitality of the "cultural belt". Surpassing more than 270 applications from 65 countries, on October 17, 2025, Lo Lo Chai was honored by UN Tourism as "The best tourist village in the world". This is not only a title, but also a symbol that culture has become a "soft passport" of Vietnam's sovereignty.

Previously, Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark was also honored by World Travel Awards as “Asia’s Leading Cultural Destination 2025”. Two consecutive awards have elevated the status of the borderland, affirming the strength of Vietnamese culture on the world map.

According to statistics, the whole province has nearly 40 recognized craft villages, with about 2,000 households participating in the production of sophisticated handicraft products, in which many craft villages were formed and developed right in the border communes. Notable are the brocade embroidery techniques of the Lo Lo people, the traditional linen weaving and beeswax painting of the Mong people, and the silver carving of the Dao people...
Culture, from being a heritage, has become an endogenous resource that helps people enrich themselves legitimately and firmly stay at the forefront of the Fatherland.

The miracle of the people's hearts and minds in the border area

Although Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang in the past and Tuyen Quang today are border areas with cultural exchanges with outsiders, for thousands of years, the culture of Tuyen Quang ethnic groups has been preserved. Love for culture is the source of patriotism, the source of the community's inherent strength in the cause of defending the Fatherland. This is a strong cultural belt, forming a soft fence to protect the Fatherland, contributing to the miracle of the people's hearts in the border area.

Going back in history, we see that from the resistance wars against the Song, Yuan, Qing armies,... everywhere there are footprints, blood and bones of the people in the northern fence. During the two resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism, Tuyen Quang became the "Capital of the Liberated Zone", "Capital of Resistance", the place that sheltered the Party and Uncle Ho, the place where the oath of independence resounded. From here, a series of historic decisions were issued, bringing Vietnam from the status of a slave to an independent nation.

Mr. Kim Xuyen Luong, former Chairman of the Ha Giang Provincial Administrative Committee, recalled: “During the resistance war years, the people of 17 border communes were the “steel belt” protecting from afar. Everyone considered hiding cadres, carrying rice, and transporting the wounded as sacred tasks. Some people carried rice all night, and in the morning went back to the fields as if nothing had happened.”

According to statistics, in 1953 alone, the border communes of Ha Giang (old) mobilized more than 12,000 militiamen, hundreds of young men joined the army, thousands of people opened roads, and transported weapons. President Ho Chi Minh once sent a letter of praise: “Dear compatriots! I was informed that all of you enthusiastically supported the resistance. You sold cheap food to the troops and provided supplies for wounded soldiers. I am very happy to thank and praise you on behalf of the Government.”

In particular, during the period of protecting the northern border (1979), the miracle of the people's hearts in the border area lay in the fact that when the main force had not yet arrived, the militia force together with the people had already held the border. When the invaders flooded in (with modern weapons such as tanks and airplanes), we only had the 3rd Sao Vang Division as the main force, the rest were militia... Particularly at the Vi Xuyen front (at that time belonging to the old Ha Tuyen province), each village was a fortress, each person was a soldier. The proportion of people volunteering to join the militia and self-defense force accounted for over 10% of the population - a number that speaks to the will of "the whole people fighting the enemy". Associate Professor, Dr. Dinh Quang Hai, former Director of the Institute of History, affirmed: "The strength lies in the fact that the enemy not only has to face the army, but also has to face the entire community of ethnic groups. Each village is a resistance group, each person is a soldier".

The battle to protect the northern border in 1979 proved an eternal truth: no sophisticated weapon can subdue a nation when their will has blended into a solid position of the people's hearts.

Peace has been restored, and the people's hearts have been nurtured with faith, with the desire for peace and development. The people themselves - the creators and preservers of culture - are also "living landmarks", the pioneering force in people's security groups and border self-management groups. The whole province currently has 346 self-management security groups with nearly 1,600 members, along with 856 households that have taken on self-management of 277 km of border and more than 440 border markers. Village elders, village chiefs, and prestigious people have become "extended arms" of the political system, both protecting landmarks, protecting forests, and preserving the culture of their homeland.

Major Phan The Ha, Deputy Political Commissar of Thanh Thuy International Border Guard Station, shared: In the first 9 months of 2025 alone, more than 60% of security-related cases that were successfully handled originated from information from the people. The army is the core, but the people are the eyes and ears of the border.

The magic of the “people’s heart” is also nurtured and spread by the enduring love for the culture of the origin. Without waiting or relying on the support of the State, many new models and effective ways have appeared in the community to preserve and promote national identity. Currently, the whole province has mass art teams in all 124 communes and wards and more than 500 traditional culture preservation clubs. All operate on a voluntary basis, attracting from children to the elderly, creating a natural spread in the community. Meritorious Artist Luc Van Bay, Head of the Soong Co Club, Son Thuy commune proudly said: “The club has more than 200 members, the youngest is only 6 years old. We teach the children to speak San Diu first and then sing, so that the culture permeates them as gently as breathing”. Or in Ha Giang 1 ward, Mr. Nguyen Van Chu quietly turned his stilt house into a free Then singing and Tinh lute class, welcoming 30-60 students each year. As long as you have a love for Tay culture in your heart, everyone is welcome.

More specifically, since 2003, before the policy of supporting artisans, many villages have established folk artisan associations to preserve cultural knowledge, teach traditional crafts, eliminate bad customs and strengthen solidarity. Up to now, the whole province has more than 200 associations with over 9,000 members, of which 1,156 artisans directly teach culture in schools, hundreds of free vocational classes have been opened in localities. Meritorious Artisan Trieu Choi Hin (Ho Thau commune) affirmed: "Preserving culture is our responsibility and also our wish, so that this flow never stops".

It can be seen that the strength of the people's hearts in the fence today was not only forged during the war years, but is also being quietly nurtured every day by love of culture, community awareness and faith in the future.

In that vein, General Secretary To Lam, when attending the inauguration ceremony of the "Uncle Ho in Tan Trao" Monument and the National Day for National Security Protection (August 2025), emphasized a consistent idea: Revolution is the cause of the People, by the People, for the People. Tuyen Quang today needs to strongly arouse the tradition of patriotism, national pride and revolutionary vigilance in every citizen; build each family into a fortress, each citizen into a soldier on the front line for national security protection.

That advice is not only a guiding ideology, but also a continuation of Ho Chi Minh's spirit - taking the people as the root, taking culture as the foundation, taking faith as the rampart. There, culture is not only a torch to light the way, but also a spiritual shield, a bond to unite the community, a soft power to neutralize all divisive plots.

Performed by: Mai Thong, Chuc Huyen, Thu Phuong, Bien Luan, Giang Lam, Tran Ke
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Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/202510/vanh-dai-van-hoa-soi-sang-bien-cuong-ky-1-phen-dau-mem-bao-ve-to-quoc-60e001b/