Politburo designates November 24 as ‘Vietnam Culture Day,’ a paid public holiday

The move is intended to enhance public access to cultural activities, encourage artists to create, and promote a cultured and civilized way of life across society. 

The Politburo reaffirmed the view that culture and people are the foundation, a vital endogenous resource, a major driving force, a pillar, and a regulatory factor for the country’s rapid and sustainable development. 

Investing in culture is an investment in sustainable development and in the future of the nation.

Targets to 2030

Under the resolution, by 2030 Vietnam aims to further build and develop an advanced culture imbued with strong national identity, unified in diversity, and characterized by national, democratic, humanistic, scientific, and modern values.

Key targets also include completing the restoration and preservation of special national relics, as well as the preservation of intangible cultural heritage and traditional arts at risk of disappearing.

The resolution also calls for the development of cultural industry groups, creative clusters, and creative zones of international scale, based on high technology and innovative business models.

Vietnam will proactively and actively pursue international cultural integration, with the goal of becoming an attractive destination for major regional and global cultural and artistic events.

By 2026, the country targets the digitization of 100 percent of nationally ranked and special national cultural heritage sites.

It also sets a target for 100 percent of pupils and students across the national education system to regularly and effectively access and participate in artistic activities and cultural heritage education.

To ensure adequate resources for cultural development, the resolution stipulates that at least two percent of total annual state budget spending be allocated to culture, with gradual increases based on practical needs.

Cultural industries are expected to contribute seven percent of GDP by 2030, with the creation of five to ten national brands in areas such as cinema, performing arts, cultural tourism, design, and fashion.

Vietnam also aims to establish five international-scale arts festivals and cultural events in fields including film, music, and fine arts; open one to three additional Vietnamese cultural centers overseas, prioritizing comprehensive strategic partner countries; and secure UNESCO recognition for at least five more cultural heritage elements.

Vision to 2045

Looking ahead to 2045, the resolution sets out a vision of Vietnam as a major destination for regional and international cultural and artistic events, and as a dynamic center for cultural and creative industries.

Under this long-term vision, cultural industries and the creative economy are expected to become pillars of sustainable development, contributing about nine percent of GDP.

Targets also include the establishment of ten international-scale arts festivals and cultural events, the addition of around eight to ten UNESCO-recognized cultural heritage elements, and placing Vietnam among the top three countries in ASEAN and the top 30 globally in the Soft Power Index and in the export value of cultural industry products.