General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s devotion to the cause of building and developing Vietnamese culture

Assoc.Prof., Dr. PHAM MINH TUAN
Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Communist Review,
Chairman of Vietnam Publishing Association

1. Introduction

With close coordination between the Central Commision of Communication and Education, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the National Political Publishing House in selecting, editing, and publishing, the book titled Building and Developing an Advanced Vietnamese Culture imbued with National Identity was introduced to readers on the occasion of the 76th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh’s call for patriotic emulation (June 11, 1948 - June 11, 2024) and the 99th anniversary of Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925 - June 21, 2024). This release is extremely important, addressing practical needs: Not only does it systematize the leadership and directives of the Party and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity, but it also summarizes experiences and orients tasks for the development of the Vietnamese culture in the new period. His illustrates, along with a comprehensive and profound understanding of the critical role of culture and the historical traditions of the nation, that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, with his strategic vision and keen cultural insight, is not only a man of culture but also a cultural advocate for the Party.

With nearly 927 pages, divided into 3 parts, along with more than 100 precious documentary photos, the book is a work rich in political theory, practical insight, and humanism. It contains dedicated articles and speeches, comprehensive and profound content, addressing the issue of the nature and characteristics of the Vietnamese culture from a practical perspective, relevant to the context of the country and the development trends of the times.

The book discusses major issues of significant theoretical importance for the Party and the nation, supported by solid and persuasive arguments and enriched with vivid examples. It reflects profound ideas and views on the nature and core values of culture, various cultural sectors, and the development of specific cultural institutions. It especially emphasizes the dialectical relationship between theory and practice in the cultural endeavors led by the Party.

Commenting on the content and value of the book, Comrade Nguyen Trong Nghia, Politburo Member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, and Head of the Central Commission of Communication and Education affirmed: In the book, “General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has provided an important analyses, insights and directions on the characteristics, nature, position, role, goals, directions, tasks and solutions to build and develop an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity. The thoughts and guiding views of the General Secretary in the book are drawn from extremely rich practice, affirming the close, decisive, comprehensive and convincing direction of the General Secretary; contributing to clarifying our Party’s theoretical thinking on culture”(1).

2. Culture as the soul of the nation: A true “spiritual foundation”, “driving force for development” and “light guiding the way for the nation”

The book outlines the Vietnamese culture as a unique, rich, and diverse yet unified, grounded in progressive and humanistic values formed over millennia of nation-building, preservation, creative labor, and resilient struggle. It reflects the assimilation of global cultural achievements and the interwoven cultural exchanges among Vietnam’s ethnic groups, regions, and localities. Culture defines the dignity, soul, and character of the nation, with noble values and qualities: ardent patriotism, national self-reliance, solidarity, community awareness connecting individuals - families - villages - the Fatherland, compassion, tolerance, generosity, respect for love and morality, diligence, creativity in labor, sophistication in behavior, simplicity in lifestyle, etc. Culture possesses immense strength, evidenced by Vietnam’s proud history, standing firm against cultural assimilation attempts and safeguarding the Fatherland’s independence, sovereignty, and borders. It has cultivated and preserved a unique culture imbued with national identity.

Building on these traditional cultural values and selectively adopting the world’s cultural essence, the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh, since the Party’s inception and throughout the revolutionary leadership, have recognized culture as one of the three critical revolutionary fronts alongside politics and economics. Culture is formed and developed based on the infrastructure of society. However, in turn, culture is the driving force of social and economic development; culture “lights the way for the nation”. The Party’s Outline om Vietnamese culture (1943) articulated that thanks to the successful democratic Revolution, the Party’s vision is to build a liberated and vibrant culture, encompassing ideology, scholarship, and arts, to catch up with the world’s modern democratic cultures.

The Party has consistently prioritized cultural development, as reflected in Party congresses, directives, and resolutions from the Central Executive Committee. Thanks to this leadership, and particularly after nearly 40 years of renovation, The Socialist Republic of Vietnam has achieved significant cultural and human development milestones, contributing to the nation’s stability, the socialist state, and Vietnam’s global standing.

However, challenges remain in cultural development and preservation, negatively impacting economic and social progress, individual growth, and cultural environments. Especially, in the context of Industrial Revolution 4.0 and the trend of globalization, preserving and promoting traditional cultural values face increasing challenges. As such, our Party’s leadership on culture has become more comprehensive and profound, positioning culture as a strategic focus for breakthroughs. Culture now stands equal to politics and economics in importance, emphasizing its role in mobilizing Vietnam’s human and cultural strengths to inspire aspirations for a prosperous, civilized, and heroic nation.

At the National Cultural Conference (November 2021), General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized the need to continue building, preserving, and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity, because “Culture is the soul of the Nation, expressing the identity of the Nation”(2); “A nation will endure as long as its culture endures”(3); culture must truly be the “spiritual foundation”, “the driving force for development” and “the light guiding the nation”, and so on.

The book vividly portrays the noble, simple, and approachable cultural persona of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. It serves as a valuable “handbook” on the culture of our cadres, party members, and people in their efforts to build and develop an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity(4).

The General Secretary’s love for culture permeates every directive, article, and statement, reflecting his leading and motivating role in the country’s cultural development, as well as the significance of preserving the values of national culture. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong actively encourages cultural and artistic activities, inspiring enthusiasm and ambition to rejuvenate the nation’s culture. He consistently emphasizes the role of culture in the sustainable development of the country. The General Secretary also promotes the values of Vietnamese culture, affirming that protecting traditional culture means protecting the nation’s spiritual foundation and identity.

The intellectual insights of the General Secretary and the Party have gradually elevated culture into a “soft power” strength, forming the basis for national development. Today, culture is placed on par with economics, politics, and society, recognized as a fundamental force in advancing Vietnam.

3. A consistent ideology for building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity

In the first part of the book - Culture is the Soul of the Nation, featuring 19 speeches and articles by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong presented at the National Cultural Conference implementing the 13th National Party Congress’s Resolution and other important meetings and bodies such as the Central Executive Committee Conference, the National Conference on Ideological and Cultural Affairs, the National Communication and Education Conference, etc., a key recurring concept emphasized by Comrade Trong is the idea of “ an advanced culture, imbued with national identity, including within it the dialectical relationships between tradition and modernity; inheritance and development; national and international, on the basis of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh thought”(5). The advanced nature intertwined with national identity is an essential characteristic of Vietnamese culture.

The advanced essence of culture is first and foremost reflected in patriotism and progress. Patriotism encompasses love for one’s hometown, love for the streets, love for the land, sea, and sky of the Fatherland. It is the deep connection with and affection for compatriots and comrades . It is the determination to protect the nation’s independence, sovereignty, integrity, freedom, democracy, and peaceful labor of the people. It also includes striving for national progress, moving the country away from poverty and backwardness, and ensuring prosperity and happiness for all citizens, and so on. Progress includes the progress of the nation and the era; it is the crystallization of noble values such as, labor, justice, love, beauty; in line with the trend, and with the law of development of history, and so on.

Patriotism and progress also include the ideology of the working class, rooted in the ideals of national independence and socialism, deeply influenced by Marxism - Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought. These principles aim for the ultimate humanitarian goal of serving humanity, ensuring happiness, and achieving comprehensive development for all individuals in a harmonious relationship between individuals, communities, society, and nature.

To speak about culture means speaking of people, and to speak of people means addressing ideology, morality, and lifestyle. In a class society, the ideological, moral, and lifestyle standards of the ruling class hold a dominant position, dominating the ideology, morality, and lifestyle of society. The ideology of the working class, Marxism-Leninism is the foundation, playing a leading role in the cultural content that our people strive to build across revolutionary stages. Through the nation’s remarkable victories against invaders and its achievements in building a new society, Vietnam’s culture has demonstrated immense strength.

The progressive nature of culture is reflected not only in its ideological content but also in its form of expression and in the means in which it is conveyed. This includes modern technical facilities for cultural life, cultural activities, in the fields of information, art, cinema, theater, music, etc.; healthy innovative methods and styles of composition and performance; the inheritance, renovation and improvement of traditional art forms and traditional cultural activities, and so on.

The advanced nature of culture is intrinsically linked to national identity. Patriotism and progress, along with the ideals of national independence and socialism, inherently embody the core values of national identity. To speak of the nation is to speak of culture, as culture is intertwined with the essence, soul and face of the nation. The concentrated expression of the nation’s face is its national identity. Therefore, it is natural that culture bears national identity. In other words, national identity is expressed in national culture. National identity includes sustainable values, the quintessence of the Vietnamese ethnic community cultivated through thousands of years of struggle to build and defend the country. National identity is also evident in unique forms of national expression. Protecting national identity does not mean closing the door and isolating oneself; rather, we must connect with the expansion of international exchanges, selectively absorb the good and progressive elements of other nations’ cultures, while rejecting outdated or regressive practices and traditions(6).

When referring to the culture imbued with national identity, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized: “...The national identity of the Vietnamese culture includes lasting values, and the quintessence cultivated through thousands of years of struggle to build and defend the country”(7).

In particular, the culture we aim to build is centered on national independence and socialism, with Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s thought playing a central role in the spiritual life of society. It inherits the nation’s fine cultural traditions while selectively integrating the achievements and cultural quintessence of the world. The ultimate goal is to create a civilized, healthy society that serves the legitimate interests and dignity of humanity, with higher standards of knowledge, ethics, physical fitness, lifestyles, and aesthetics. In his article Determined to revitalize and successfully build an advanced Vietnamese culture rich in national identity, the General Secretary clearly outlined the overarching goal of cultural development: “To build a comprehensive Vietnamese culture aiming for truth, goodness, and beauty, imbued with national spirit, humanity, democracy, and science. Culture must truly become a solid spiritual foundation of society, an essential internal force ensuring sustainable development and the steadfast protection of the Fatherland, striving for the goals of a wealthy people, a strong country, democracy, justice, and civilization”(8).

The core of cultural construction and development lies in building individuals with integrity and creating a healthy cultural environment. Emphasis is placed on the interconnection between culture and politics, culture and economics, and fostering a culture within the Party and political system. This includes cultivation civil servant culture, public service culture, especially public service ethics and the exemplary conduct of cadres and party members. Emphasizing the role of culture and arts in education, nurturing moral qualities and human personality, the General Secretary affirmed: “Culture plays an important role in education, nurturing human qualities, ethics, personality, enhancing national character and consciousness, preserving national identity, developing the market economy without destroying social ethical values, and achieving “integration without dissolution”(9).

Our Party also identifies that the subjects in building and developing culture are the Party’s leadership, the State’s management, and the people’s creativity. Intellectuals and artists play also play an important role. The emphasis is on maximizing ofthe resources of the State and society, from within the country and abroad to develop culture. This perspective shows our Party’s profound, complete, and comprehensive understanding of building and developing culture in the renovation period, providing a foundational premise for practical implementation and understanding.

At the launch ceremony for the book, comrade Nguyen Van Hung, Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism affirmed that the book titled Building and Developing an Advanced Vietnamese Culture Imbued with National Identity has great values. He stated that the books is not only the intellectual product and dedication of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, but also a systematic scientific work. It gathers the thoughts, directives, statements and articles of our Party’s leader on the nature and characteristics of the Vietnamese culture, its role and mission as an endogenous resource for development, the connection between culture with economics, politics and society, and the preservation of traditional and revolutionary cultural values. The book also address cultural development in the new period, emphasizing the centrality of humans as the creative subjects, the team of artists playing an important role in cultural development; associated with building a system of national values, a system of cultural values, a system of family values and standards for Vietnamese people; making an important contribution to enriching theoretical and practical issues on building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity(10).

In addition, to clarify the essence of an advanced culture imbued with national identity, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized that studying and following Ho Chi Minh Thought, ethics and lifestyle is a lasting cultural and spiritual need. This embodies the beauty of the values and cultural lifestyle of the entire Party, people, and military. According to the General Secretary, when something becomes culture, it becomes profound, sustainable, and has a strong influence. Proper understanding, creative action, and Ho Chi Minh’s culture will transmit an important source of motivation for us to build a system of national values, a system of cultural values, a system of values for the Vietnamese people in the Ho Chi Minh era. This will create a driving force us to continue advancing renovation, to proactively and actively integrate comprehensively and deeply into the international community; to seize new opportunities and fortunes, overcoming all challenges and risks to build a country that develops faster and more sustainably(11).

Accordingly, the General Secretary called for the urgent establishment of national, cultural, familial and personal values for the Vietnamese people in the new period. These should be based on specific guidelines and the identification of key elements within each value system. This serves as an important way to orient and unify the will and common sentiment of the entire Party and people, expressing the common aspirations of the nation to create great achievements of historical significance. In particular, it helps us to firmly consolidate the ideological battlefield, revive culture, and make an important contribution to building soft power and endogenous strength to develop the country. The comrade offered vital insights on the components of each value system(12).

These are not only the good, exemplary, core values, inherited and developed from national traditions based on the foundation of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, as well as through the Party Congresses, but also the product of the struggle to build and defend our country. They are the crystallization of the best, most enduring values of the nation, which have shaped forged the Vietnamese soul, spirit, and mettle, contributing to the glorious history of the nation. The characteristics of the new cu­lture that we need to build are the national, modern, and humane.

Thereby, it can be said that the assessment that culture is the soul of the nation is completely correct, since it is not only the result of inheriting Marxist-Leninist theory, Ho Chi Minh Thought, and viewpoints through the Party Congresses, but more importantly, it is also the summary of the good, exemplary, core values, inherited and developed from the national tradition of thousands of years of civilization: “Using great justice to defeat cruelty, Using benevolence to replace violence”, “Having long been known as a cultured foundation”, and so on.

Over various periods and in different positions, with his practical experience, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong not only reaffirmed the Party’s consistent stance and policies on culture but has also provided detailed and comprehensive analyses of achievements, limitations, causes, goals, tasks, influencing factors, and the strategic solutions needed to continue inheriting and advancing Vietnamese culture.

4. Achievements and limitations in the field of building and developing Vietnamese culture

The book outlines 9 fundamental achievements in building and developing culture:

1. Cultural awareness is increasingly comprehensive and profound in all fields.

2. Cultural forms and products are increasingly diverse and rich, meeting the new and multifaceted demands of society.

3. Many traditional cultural values and cultural heritages of the nation have been inherited, preserved, and developed.

4. Culture in politics and economics has begun to be respected and promoted with positive effects.

5. The cultural sector and cultural market have taken a step forward.

6. Activities in international exchange, cooperation, and integration have seen new developments.

7. Building the as the center of the socio-economic development strategy is gradually being realized.

8. Efforts to combat, criticize, and push back against the negative, the harmful, and outdated practices, as well as opposing wrongful views and behaviors that damage culture and lifestyles, have been emphasized.

9. Many exemplary figures in the patriotic emulation movement and the “All people unite to build a cultural life” movement have been recognized, spreading their influence into social life, strengthening the people’s trust in the cause of building culture in particular and building and developing the country in general.

According to the General Secretary, in addition to the achievements, the cultural sector still has many limitations and shortcomings. Among them, “The outstanding limitations and weaknesses that have been mentioned many times are that culture has not been deeply recognized by all levels and sectors and has not received adequate attention commensurate with the economy and politics. It has not truly become an endogenous strength and driving force for the country’s sustainable development. The role of culture in human development has not been properly determined, and there is still a tendency to focus on the entertainment function, etc. The cultural environment is still polluted by social evils, corruption, and negativity. The gap in cultural enjoyment between regions is still large, etc. Many of the nation’s valuable cultural heritages are at risk of degradation, loss, or even extinction. Leadership, direction, and management of cultural affairs remain confused and sluggish, and so on. Investment in culture is not adequate, scattered, and not very effective, etc. The quality and quantity of personnel directly involved in cultural work do not meet the requirements for cultural development in the new period, etc.; Insufficient importance and positive measures have been given to preserving, protecting, and promoting the nation’s distinctive and valuable cultural traditions; at times, there has been uncritical and inappropriate imitation of foreign cultures, leading to absurd and offensive outcomes”(13).

5. Some key tasks to continue building, preserving, reviving, and developing the nation’s culture

The book emphasizes that cultural development is a critical issue and a prominent theme in the Party’s documents, especially the 13th National Party Congress Documents. For the first time Party Congress Documents, our Party comprehensively and deeply addresses the cultural field, from the Congress theme to the viewpoints, goals, major orientations, key tasks, and strategic breakthroughs. The book sets out 6 key tasks that need to be focused on and implemented well to continue building, preserving, reviving, and developing the nation’s culture(14):

Firstly, to increasingly arouse the spirit of patriotism, self-reliance, solidarity, and the aspiration to develop a prosperous and happy country among the entire nation. Maximize cultural values, strength, and spirit of dedication of all Vietnamese people.

Secondly, building the Vietnamese people in the period of renovation, development and integration, with appropriate standard values, aligned with preserving and promoting Vietnamese family values, cultural values, and national values. Harmonize traditional values with modern values, emphasizing patriotism, solidarity, self-reliance, loyalty, honesty, responsibility, discipline, and creativity.

Thirdly, comprehensively and synchronously develop the cultural fields, cultural environments, and cultural life. Preserve and promote traditional cultural values, absorb the quintessence of human culture, and at the same time improve the quality and effectiveness of creating new cultural values. Build a healthy and civilized cultural environment associated with the uncompromising fight against evil, negativity, anti-cultural behavior, and immoral acts. Protect the values of truth, goodness, and beauty. Improve the cultural life of the people.

Fourthly, promote the role of the creative subject and the cultural beneficiary, which is the people. Respect and protect the diverse expressions of culture, of the people, ethnic groups, regions, and localities. Develop extensive and substantial cultural movements. Improve conditions, enhance the level of the people’s cultural enjoyment, ensuring fairness. Promote and uphold the pioneering role of intellectuals, artists, and those working in cultural affairs.

Fifthly, focus on building the Party and the political system with a foundation in culture and ethics. Resolutely fight against corruption and negativity, so that our Party and our country’s political system are truly ethical and civilized, representing the conscience and dignity of the Vietnamese people, and so on.

Sixthly, build a digital cultural environment suitable for the digital economy, digital society, and digital citizenship. Adapt culture to regulate and support the sustainable development of the country in the context of the Industrial Revolution 4.0. Rapidly develop cultural industries and build a healthy cultural market.

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Received: July 20, 2024; Revised: July 22, 2024; Approved for publication: July 24, 2024.

Endnotes:

(1) General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s heartfelt book on building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity, https://tuoitre.vn/, posted on June 21, 2024.

(2), (3), (13) Nguyen Phu Trong: Some theoretical and practical issues on socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2022, pp.157, 157, 167.

(4) Launching the book by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity, https://dangcongsan.vn/, posted on June 21, 2024.

(5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (11), (12), (14) Nguyen Phu Trong: Building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2024, pp.15, 77-79, 60, 15-16, 19, 128, 16, 44-45.

(10) Full text of Minister Nguyen Van Hung’s speech at the book launching ceremony of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity, https://vicas.org.vn/, posted on June 24, 2024.

(3) World Bank: What is Governance?, https://web.worldbank.org/ archive/website01020/WEB/0_CON-5.HTM, accessed on October 10, 2023.