Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam is rewriting the playbook on cultural diplomacy, shifting from traditional government-led initiatives to embracing grassroots participation from citizens, businesses, and social media influencers. In an exclusive interview with Vietnam News Agency, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong reveals how those changes have been made possible thanks to the country's new Cultural Diplomacy Strategy to 2030.
Reporter: The Cultural Diplomacy Strategy to 2030 states that "Cultural diplomacy will centre on localities, citizens, and businesses, whereby these entities serve both as beneficiaries and partners in implementing the strategy." What specific measures have the Party and State taken to materialise these orientations?
Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong: Diplomacy has transcended traditional frameworks and geographical boundaries amidst globalisation, operating in both physical and digital spaces. Therefore, cultural diplomacy encompasses not just culture and arts in the narrow sense, but culture in its broadest national and international context, includes political culture, economic culture, education and training, technical assistance, technology transfer, and even humanitarian aid.
However, while expanding to include citizens and businesses, the Strategy to 2030 has not yet addressed the role of intellectuals and artists—the core creators of culture. This coordination gap needs improvement for effective implementation of cultural diplomacy and external cultural affairs.
The emphasis on localities, citizens, and businesses as the center of cultural diplomacy in the Strategy to 2030 represents a significant change from the 2011 Cultural Diplomacy Strategy, which was limited to the public sector's role. This new approach aligns with the concept of "public diplomacy" and intersects with "external cultural affairs."
The Party and State’s efforts have yielded positive outcomes, helping improve Vietnam’s images in the international arena while consolidating the country’s external relations and socio-economic development in the future. We're implementing six key initiatives: strengthening cultural exchanges between localities through international festivals like Hanoi International Film Festival and Hue Festival, encouraging citizen participation in international cultural and education exchanges, supporting businesses at international trade fairs, developing digital cultural diplomacy platforms, collaborating with cultural organisations, and raising public awareness of the significance of cultural diplomacy through media and education programmes.
Reporter: Many young people, including international influencers, are actively promoting Vietnamese culture on social media. What is your view on this trend and how should Vietnam encourage more people to become cultural ambassadors?
Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong: The trend of young people, especially influencers, sharing Vietnamese cultural values, traditions, and images of the country and its people on social media is highly encouraging. Creative short videos, images, and posts combining traditional culture with modern elements in cuisine, tourism, music, and customs not only attract domestic viewers but create strong appeal for international communities. Examples include "Bắc Bling" by artists Hoa Minzy, Tuan Cry, and Xuan Hinh, which has gained tremendous applause both in and outside the country with over 100 million views recorded in a short time on YouTube and other social platforms.
To have more people as voluntarily cultural ambassadors, Vietnam needs to complete institutional frameworks with new laws supporting artist creativity and copyright protection, create favourable environments for international cooperation, support online cultural activities through funding and training programmes, strengthen cultural education for young people, and assist Vietnamese communities abroad in organising local cultural activities.
Reporter: Currently, some cultural and entertainment programmes have become so influential not only in the country but also in Vietnamese communities abroad, such as "Anh trai say Hi" and "Anh trai vuot ngan chong gai." What made these shows so successful, especially in terms of connecting young Vietnamese living abroad with their homeland's culture, in your opinion?
Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong: 2024 witnessed over 50 music events of various scales with participation from both Vietnamese and international artists. Audience numbers reached record high up to 40,000 per event, clearly demonstrating Vietnam's music industry potentials.
The two most prominent events, "Anh trai say Hi" in Hanoi and "Anh trai vuot ngan chong gai" in Hung Yen, each attracting nearly 100,000 attendees, left strong artistic and economic impacts.
I think the success of these shows stems from the harmonious combination of entertainment and education, conveying meaningful messages about life, family, love, and national cultural identity. Many novel performances combining traditional arts with modern elements, creative staging, costumes, lighting, and interactive games had created strong connections between artists and audiences, providing unique and fresh artistic experiences. The social media influence from YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Threads were undeniable. With hundreds of millions of followers on thes social platforms, the concerts’ tickets were sold out immediately upon release was understandable.
These events’ success has boosted Vietnam's image as a unique cultural tourism destination while also prompting the posibility to build national cultural brands through high-quality performances, to create more opportunities for young people and Vietnamese communities abroad to understand and experience Vietnamese traditions, customs, history, and people as well as to closely connect young overseas Vietnamese with their homeland's culture.
Reporter:
Vietnam has launched several cultural promotion programmes through UNESCO and international media channels. How do you assess the effectiveness of these programmes? What plans does the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism have in the pipeline to further promote Vietnam's culture internationally and strengthen connections with Vietnamese communities abroad?
Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong: Vietnam has earned over 60 UNESCO recognitions for its cultural heritage. The country was the first to successfully request the transfer of Xoan singing of Phu Tho from UNESCO’s “Urgent Safeguarding List” to the “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,” showing Vietnam’s pioneering role, responsibility and commitment to heritage preservation.
We have been consistent in improving the quality of information catered for non-Vietnamese and Vietnamese living abroad in accordance to the Politburo Conclusion No. 57-KL/TW dated June 15, 2023. Annually, the ministry welcomes about 30 international film crews and international news agencies (BBC, CNN, NHK and KBS, etc.) in Vietnam for filming and reporting on Vietnamese culture, country, and people, using fundings from either international film companies or contributions from individuals and organizations.
I think strengthening partnerships with world-class cultural institutions and investors will help us introduce Vietnamese cultural products to international stages like the Oscars, Cannes, and global expos in a near future. Supporting Vietnamese artists to study abroad or to participate in international competitions and festivals is also another top priority of us. For the Vietnamese diaspora, especially younger generations, we aim to provide them with more opportunities for cultural engagement and creative expression.
Digital transformation remains central to our strategy. We have applied new technologies across museums, galleries, and cinemas, while also launching interactive content electronically. These tools have not only helped us reach audiences worldwide but also made our culture more accessible.
Finally, Vietnam will continue hosting large-scale international cultural events. Expanding the network of Vietnamese cultural centres abroad will further enhance our global presence and foster a deeper sense of cultural identity among overseas communities./.
