Deputy PM Pham Thi Thanh Tra: Make Vietnam Culture Day a True Festival for All

(DTO) On the morning of October 12, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra chaired a conference on preparations for Vietnam Culture Day 2026, to be held in conjunction with the National Great Unity Festival. The conference was held in person and online, connecting provincial and city meeting points nationwide. 

At the Dong Thap provincial meeting point, attendees included Huynh Minh Tuan, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee; Nguyen Thi Uyen Trang, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Vo Chi Huu, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Dong Thap Province; leaders of Dong Thap Newspaper and Radio, Television; and representatives of relevant departments and agencies.

According to a report by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, preparations for Vietnam Culture Day (November 24), in conjunction with the National Great Unity Festival (November 18), are being actively carried out by ministries, sectors and localities. To date, most provinces and cities have issued implementation plans and directives.

A range of key activities will be organized, including a National Cultural Conference, a special arts program in Hanoi, exhibitions, a film week, cultural and sports exchanges, and community activities. Notably, the Ministry has launched a trial version of the Vietnam Digital Cultural Map platform, which is expected to be officially unveiled nationwide on November 1, 2026.

At the conference, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, leaders of ministries, agencies, provinces and cities reported on preparations and communication efforts for Vietnam Culture Day in conjunction with the National Great Unity Festival 2026.

Localities are focusing on a series of activities from November 18 to 24, placing people at the center, promoting cultural identity, strengthening community solidarity, and ensuring that activities are practical, safe and economical, with a broad social impact.

In her keynote remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra emphasized that this is the first year Vietnam Culture Day will be held nationwide. She called on ministries, sectors and localities to fully recognize the event’s significance, organize activities that make a strong impression from the outset, and develop appropriate implementation approaches that build on existing efforts and can be sustained over the long term.

The Deputy Prime Minister highlighted several priorities, including placing people as the key actors and residential communities at the center; promoting culture’s role in bringing people together and strengthening national unity; expanding cultural spaces and making effective use of cultural institutions to serve the public; intensifying communication and public awareness efforts; and evaluating results based on tangible outcomes and the event’s impact on communities.

She called on authorities at all levels and across all sectors to continue implementing and translating into action the spirit of Politburo Resolution No. 80 on the development of Vietnamese culture. Activities should be practical, creative and suited to the cultural characteristics of each locality, helping make Vietnam Culture Day a true festival for all.

In Dong Thap Province, under Plan No. 1288/KH-UBND dated August 24, 2026, a diverse and engaging program of activities will be organized for Vietnam Culture Day 2026.

The province is expected to roll out a series of activities, with a major focus in November 2026. Highlights include promoting the event through visual communications, press outlets, digital platforms and grassroots information systems; a launch ceremony and special arts program at Hung Vuong Square; a seminar on sustainable cultural and tourism development; a photo exhibition titled “Dong Thap Cultural Heritage”; displays of ceramic and metal collections; demonstrations of mat weaving, traditional scarf weaving, nem making and rice paper grilling; a space for cultural and culinary exchanges featuring local specialties; and book displays.

At the conference, provincial department and agency leaders also put forward proposals for additional practical activities that would highlight Dong Thap’s distinctive identity. They suggested ways to encourage officials, civil servants, public employees, workers and residents to participate, working together to promote the province’s historical and cultural heritage as well as its signature products.

Speaking at the Dong Thap meeting point, Huynh Minh Tuan stressed the importance of implementing plans in a coordinated and rigorous manner, ensuring that activities deliver practical results and closely follow the central government’s directives.

He assigned the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to take the lead, in coordination with the Standing Board of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Dong Thap Province, in urgently preparing a joint plan between the Provincial People’s Committee and the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee. He also called for a review and finalization of detailed implementation plans to ensure consistent execution. The plans must be feasible, clearly define responsibilities and be submitted to provincial leaders for approval as soon as possible, enabling relevant agencies and localities to proactively carry them out.

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee called on departments, agencies and localities to carefully integrate cultural, artistic, sporting and culinary activities featuring local specialties in a coordinated manner and in compliance with regulations. Programs should be dignified and memorable while ensuring safety and cost-effectiveness and avoiding duplication. Their formats should reflect actual local conditions and showcase Dong Thap’s distinctive identity.

At the same time, localities should proactively develop specific implementation plans, promote social mobilization, and encourage businesses and other lawful sources of support to contribute. They should also expand community cultural spaces where residents can both create cultural value and directly benefit from it.

The Vice Chairman also asked the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to coordinate with the Provincial Party Committee’s Commission for Information and Education and media organizations to step up public information and awareness campaigns through visual communications and digital platforms, fostering an atmosphere of enthusiasm and widely spreading the spirit of national great unity among all segments of the population. 

THU HOAI
Translated by ANH DUC