Ha Long: Building a learning city associated with preserving and promoting traditional culture

On February 28 - March 1, at the Thanh Y Dao Cultural Conservation Area, Bang Ca Commune, Ha Long City, a village festival was held in conjunction with the Ceremony to announce the National Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Dao People's Coming of Age Ceremony, the Tay People's New Rice Celebration Ceremony, and the ceremony to receive the Certificate of Recognition of the Commune Meeting Advanced New Rural Standards.

Rich history and cultural heritage

Ha Long is a land with a rich history with three prominent prehistoric cultures: Soi Nhu Culture, Cai Beo Culture and Ha Long Culture. These archaeological sites are evidence of the long-standing development of people here. Currently, Ha Long owns 96/638 historical - cultural relics of Quang Ninh province, including the World Heritage Ha Long Bay, 6 national relics and 11 unique festivals. This is a valuable resource for the city to develop cultural tourism, while preserving and promoting traditional values.

Ha Long City preserves and promotes the unique culture of ethnic minorities

After the administrative boundary merger, Ha Long increasingly clearly shows the intersection of many cultural flows: from maritime culture, mining workers' culture, to the culture of ethnic minority communities. This combination has created a colorful culture, unified in diversity, contributing to shaping Ha Long's unique identity.

Learning City: Aspirations and Directions

The concept of "learning city" proposed by UNESCO aims to build urban areas where all people have the opportunity to learn throughout their lives, thereby promoting sustainable community development. Ha Long City has adopted and applied this model with the goal of turning the city into a center of education, culture and creativity. To achieve this, the city has focused on improving the quality of education, developing the library system, cultural centers, and creating conditions for people to easily access knowledge.

Ha Long City is actively preparing for the roadmap to join the UNESCO Learning Cities Network.

A special feature of Ha Long City's strategy is the combination of learning and cultural preservation. The city is well aware that, for sustainable development, it is necessary to preserve and promote traditional cultural values, especially the cultural beauty of ethnic minorities such as the Bang Ca Village Festival of the Dao Thanh Y people held at the end of February 2025, which is one of the typical cultural events, attracting the attention of many people and tourists.

Harmony between modern and traditional

One of the biggest challenges in Ha Long’s process of building a learning city is how to harmonize modern and traditional elements. The city has chosen a proactive approach, in which the application of modern technology in education and cultural management is considered the key to achieving this balance. For example, Ha Long has implemented cultural heritage digitization projects, in which traditional festivals such as Bang Ca Village are recorded and stored in the form of videos, images, and digital documents. This not only helps preserve heritage in a sustainable way but also makes it easier for residents and visitors to access and learn about culture.

Traditional festivals are not only cultural activities but also "living museums" of the culture of ethnic minority communities.

In addition, the city also focuses on integrating traditional culture into the educational program. Schools in Ha Long have integrated lessons on local culture into the curriculum, helping students understand and appreciate traditional values. At the same time, extracurricular activities such as visiting relics and participating in festivals are held regularly, creating opportunities for the younger generation to directly experience and learn from reality.

Ha Long City is also exploiting the potential of cultural tourism as a way to promote and preserve traditional values. Bang Ca Village Festival and other cultural events have become highlights attracting domestic and foreign tourists. The city has invested in building infrastructure, improving service quality to meet the needs of tourists, while ensuring that tourism activities do not affect local cultural values.

Students, teachers and people happily participate in experiencing activities during cultural festivals.

In addition, the city also cooperates with international organizations to promote local culture to the world. Cultural exchange programs, exhibitions and international seminars have been organized, providing opportunities for Ha Long people to learn and share experiences with other cultures.

Towards a global learning city

These activities demonstrate the determination of Ha Long city - the capital city of Quang Ninh province - in implementing the Vietnamese Cultural Outline, building the cultural strength of Ha Long people in particular and Quang Ninh in general, and aiming to join the UNESCO global network of learning cities in 2025.

The combination of tradition and modernity not only helps Ha Long preserve its precious cultural values ​​but also creates new momentum for socio-economic development, bringing the city further on the global map of learning and creativity.

Ha Long City aims to build a learning city that harmonizes modern and traditional elements.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/ha-long-xay-dung-thanh-pho-hoc-tap-gan-voi-bao-ton-va-phat-huy-van-hoa-truyen-thong-307484.html