Believing in cultural development in new era

Associate Professor, PhD Phan Quoc Anh (Dong Hai Ward) has worked in the field of culture for many years. Although he has retired for many years, he still pays attention and continues to contribute to cultural activities and development. Recently, as the oldest delegate representing intellectuals and scientists attending the 1st Congress of Khanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee, term 2025 - 2030, Associate Professor, PhD Phan Quoc Anh had an interview with Khanh Hoa Newspaper and Radio-Television about culture.

Associate Professor, PhD Phan Quoc Anh

- What do you think about the cultural contents that were unanimously approved in this congress?

- In addition to socio-economic development goals, the congress also paid much attention to caring for the people's lives, developing culture and people. I was very impressed with the content of developing Khanh Hoa’s culture and people in the coming term, in which the spending level for culture exceeds the national average. That shows the attention of Khanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee and authorities to culture and people. 

- Could you be more specific about the expectations and goals for the province's cultural sector in the time to come, especially preservation and promotion of traditional cultures of ethnic groups in the province?

- The Resolution of the 1st Provincial Party Congress closely followed the draft document of the 14th National Party Congress, which paid great attention to culture and people. Khanh Hoa Province is home to many communities of Cham people and Raglai people and other ethnic minorities. Together with Kinh people, the ethnic minorities in the province create a rich and unique cultural identity. Therefore, the preservation of traditional culture in general and the traditional culture of ethnic minorities in particular is placed in parallel with development of the people’s lives and economy will open up many new expectations. Through the construction of infrastructure in remote areas and balancing the living standards of people between the plains and mountainous areas will promote the increasing demand for cultural enjoyment of the people. Thereby, caring for people's lives, including cultural and spiritual life, will be better. The congress resolution also pointed out that culture is the foundation of society, both the goal and the driving force of development. 

Cham dance performance in the artistic program celebrating success of the 1st Khanh Hoa Provincial Party Congress

-    One of the key tasks of the province’s culture sector is contributing to the development of tourism and becoming a tourism product. In your opinion, what solutions does the province need to connect culture with tourism and tourism with culture more effectively?

- Khanh Hoa Province is one of the national tourism centers and has unique tourism products, including cultural tourism products. In order to continue developing cultural tourism products, promoting cultural value, especially the value of monuments and cultural heritages combined with tourism activities, the province needs specific solutions. First of all, the province need integrate the cultures of the Cham, the Raglai, the Co Ho, and the Chu Ru into tourism activities. It is necessary to promote the role of tourism businesses and state management agencies on culture and tourism in proposing strategies and solutions to connect culture with tourism in order to attract tourists to Khanh Hoa to learn and experience types of culture.

In addition, the province needs a detailed planning and plans to promote tourism at tourist attractions such as Ninh Chu, Binh Son, Vinh Hy, and Mui Dinh. The province also needs to carefully plan how to integrate cultural products into tourism in a way that meets the demands of developing the cultural industry, in which culture directly boosts revenue and cultural products serve as tourism products. This will create stable incomes for residents, especially ethnic minority groups, artists, and artisans.

- Thank you for your answer!

Interviewer: Giang Dinh
Translated by H.N