When literature and art go together and spread

Many competitions in the fields of literature and arts (VH-NT) within the framework of the Vietnam - Bac Lieu Salt Festival 2025 (abbreviated as the Festival) recently with certain successes, once again strongly affirmed that VH-NT when accompanying development has effectively contributed to spreading beautiful values ​​to the land and people of Bac Lieu.

Sublimation of the beauty of Bac Lieu

“Since ancient times, people in my coastal hometown have always kept their eyes on the sea, hoping for the wind to change, looking forward to each ebb and flow of the tide, waiting for the scorching rays of sunlight to land on their shoulders to entrust their hopes for life.”

“My hometown people often say “work in the sun, rest in the rain, go out in the cool weather”. The salt industry is like that, when it is sunny, the more intense the sun, the happier the salt farmers are. The job of “carrying the sun to the fields” is so arduous and hard... Unlike the rice-growing and square-growing regions, in the distance there are bushes and ponds to avoid the sun and rest... Going to the salt fields, you only see the immense, endless horizon, rippling with only sun and wind and sun and wind”.

Although having known about the salt industry, but through the travelogue “Carrying the sun to the fields” by author Thai Chi Nguyen (Bac Lieu Culture - Literature Magazine), readers are still amazed by the beauty of the profession! With the writing style and the way of borrowing words, the author has drawn wonderful beauties to honor this heritage profession!

Similarly, not by words but by recording beautiful images and moments and news about "122 dishes made from shrimp and salt of Bac Lieu that set a Vietnamese record", photographer Phan Thanh Cuong (Chairman of the Association of Photographers of Bac Lieu province) won the Third Prize in the contest of News and Artistic Photography about salt (an activity within the framework of the Festival). The special photos of products made from salt and shrimp with the strong taste of the homeland are the plus points for him to accumulate more points in his achievements in photography.

Or the choral piece "White Field" which won the 2023 music award, the Gold Medal of the 19th "Singing and dating of 9 rivers" Festival in 2024 by musician Nguyen Quoc (Chairman of the Vietnam Musicians Association of Bac Lieu province), when spreading its fragrance and color in the opening art program of the Festival, also opened up a grand space honoring the salt profession: " The rising sun saw many people bending over in the fields, the first drops of sunlight of the day nurtured many hopes for a bumper crop of white salt in the fields "...

Looking back at such a big event, we can see that Bac Lieu artists have always strived to be creative, through various forms of culture and art, creating high-quality works that contribute to the development of Bac Lieu. The image of the homeland is increasingly spread and "covered" widely through the culture and art channel. Many creations in all fields not only express personal passion but also contribute significantly to promoting the image of Bac Lieu land and people to friends everywhere. The values ​​of history and culture of the homeland and nation through the lens of culture and art have always been preserved and promoted.

A rather special thing in the field of culture and arts in Bac Lieu is that the Provincial Union of Culture and Arts Associations has the Bac Lieu Culture and Arts Magazine, a mouthpiece and forum for artists and writers. It is the only magazine in the country called Culture and Arts and is also among the few local magazines published twice a month.

Third prize winning photo series by photographer Phan Thanh Cuong at the Artistic News Photography Contest on Salt.

Creating momentum for development

The contingent of artists in Bac Lieu is increasingly strong. Up to now, the province has over 500 members, of which more than 120 members have been admitted to the Central professional associations. The Provincial Union of Literature and Arts Associations has 3 member associations and 12 affiliated branches, of which there are 4 branches of literature and arts in the sector and locality (Dong Hai District Literature and Arts Association, Vinh Loi District Literature and Arts Association, Bac Lieu University Literature and Arts Association and Provincial Police Literature and Arts Association).

Preserving and promoting revolutionary traditions and indigenous cultural values, artists, with their awareness, responsibility and intelligence, have always accompanied Bac Lieu on every stage of development. Professional cultural and artistic activities have made new developments, the number of quality works winning regional, national and international awards is increasing, and the dissemination of works is diverse and rich; thereby, creating conditions for cultural and artistic development in both breadth and depth, creating many works of new artistic value.

After more than 10 years of implementing Resolution 33-NQ/TW (June 9, 2014) of the 11th Party Central Committee “Building and developing Vietnamese culture and people to meet the requirements of sustainable national development”, Bac Lieu has been and is continuing to take steady steps in the direction of operating and developing culture and arts. That is to pay attention to and promote the creative role of artists so that there will be more and more works of high ideological and artistic value, imbued with the spirit of humanity, reflecting truthfully and vividly social life, national history and the cause of national renewal; creating conditions for artists to promote their creative role, delving into people's lives to explore, develop their talents, creative capacity, and promote culture and arts.

Competitions organized according to current events, typically the recent Festival, are to honor artists and works of high value, to encourage creative enthusiasm. When the role of artists is promoted, culture and art will spread more and more widely the values ​​and quintessence of spiritual life and contribute to building the ideology of the social community; there will be more and more works of high ideological and artistic value.

“ Spring follows spring. Salt also follows spring, landing on the fertile soil and blooming white from one season to the next .” Returning to “Carrying the Sun to the Fields” which is full of literature but very current, deeply imprinted with culture and also full of current documents about the salt industry and salt life, it is enough to see that literature and art can do many things when accompanying the homeland, spreading beautiful values ​​to this land and people with the mind and heart of literature and art.

CAM THUY

Source: https://www.baobaclieu.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/khi-van-hoc-nghe-thuat-dong-hanh-va-lan-toa-99802.html