Ho Chi Minh City has been focusing investment resources on the cultural institution system to enhance the urban stature.
Despite many achievements in meeting people's needs, the cultural institution system of Ho Chi Minh City is still expected to develop to its full potential.
In 2024, the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee established a delegation to survey the system of grassroots cultural institutions, associated with the construction of the Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space.
Many bright spots
The general assessment shows that the system of cultural institutions has been gradually consolidated. Grassroots cultural institutions have largely promoted their functions, fulfilled political tasks, served diverse needs for learning, cultural activities, and entertainment for the people, and contributed to building a richer cultural life at the grassroots level.
The work of preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritage has been focused on. Cultural and historical relics have received investment, creating many positive changes contributing to improving the quality of life and cultural enjoyment of the city's people.
In the period of 2021 - 2025, the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City will implement 67 projects with a total investment of over 3,560 billion VND. The Department also coordinated with relevant units to appraise many public investment projects in the fields of culture and sports. Up to now, the Department has coordinated to provide comments on the investment proposal report of 21 projects in districts with a total estimated investment of over 600 billion VND...
A system of cultural institutions commensurate with economic development is what Ho Chi Minh City is aiming for. Photo: HOANG TRIEU
Some typical projects such as Phu Tho Multi-purpose Circus and Performance Hall, the new construction of the Talented Athletes Training Center, Women's Cultural House, Youth Cultural House, City Children's Palace... are believed to have made great contributions to the city's cultural and sports career. These are also key projects to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South, National Reunification and contribute to hosting the 10th National Sports Festival in 2026.
The above affirms the attention, leadership and direction of the city's leaders towards large, symbolic projects that will resonate after completion.
Not a few challenges
Despite such efforts and positive signals, the cultural institutional system of Ho Chi Minh City is still expected to develop further to be worthy of its position as a major economic and cultural center of the country.
The assessment of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee shows that besides the achieved results, the exploitation and use of grassroots cultural institutions still face many challenges. Among them, the physical facilities of many works have not been upgraded or expanded according to standards over time; a series of premises need to be repaired, newly built and invested in suitable equipment; and there is a situation where people's cultural enjoyment needs have not been thoroughly surveyed before construction, leading to some places having excesses and some places having shortages.
Another challenge, especially in the digital age, is that people's cultural needs have changed, leading to some cultural institutions being assessed as outdated. In addition, the legal basis for implementing investment in building grassroots cultural institutions in the form of public-private partnerships and socialization is still inadequate, and stimulus policies and construction investment have not achieved the desired results.
Modest service conditions
In a recent report on the results of cultural and sports development, the Department of Culture and Sports informed that the current state of the city's cultural and sports facilities has degraded, and training, performance and competition equipment needs investment, upgrading and new construction.
Many professional cultural and sports projects such as the Theater, the City Cultural Center, the Sports Complex... have not received adequate investment. In addition, the system of grassroots cultural and sports institutions under the management of the culture and sports sector and non-public sectors must be greatly developed to meet the development needs of society while the city's budget is still limited. Therefore, it is necessary to call for socialization to join hands and contribute to the construction and development of the city in general and the culture and sports sector in particular.
Phu Tho Sports Stadium (District 11, Ho Chi Minh City) is a place that significantly meets the spiritual needs of the people. Photo: HOANG TRIEU
A report sent to Vice Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Tran Thi Dieu Thuy by this department has specified more "questions" that need to be solved.
Accordingly, 11/19 venues assigned to 8 public service units in the art sector are theaters that were taken over in 1975 and have now deteriorated and cannot meet the needs of organizing performances. Currently, only 2/11 theaters, including the City Theater and Tran Huu Trang Opera House, are qualified to perform to serve the cultural enjoyment needs of the people...
The modest figure reflects the lack of suitable stages for each type of performance. Along with that, temporary training conditions and equipment that do not meet professional standards make it difficult for units to organize and stage high-quality artistic performances.
Need to be worthy
Mr. Cao Thanh Binh, Head of the Culture and Social Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council, acknowledged the dark side of the cultural institutional picture.
Mr. Binh said that during the survey, the authorities received many issues raised by the people such as after 50 years of national reunification, Ho Chi Minh City is a leading center of economy, culture, and sports but does not have a cultural institution worthy of its stature.
"HCMC has invested in a number of institutions, put into operation a number of new institutions that have created very good social effects. But honestly speaking, to have an institution worthy of an economic, commercial, service, cultural, and sports center like HCMC, it is necessary to continue to pay attention to investing more" - Head of the Culture and Social Committee of the HCMC People's Council said.
Previously, at the conference to promote investment in projects in the cultural and sports sector of Ho Chi Minh City on October 15, 2024, Mr. Phan Van Mai - then Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, now Chairman of the National Assembly's Economic and Financial Committee - shared that the city was identified as a major economic, cultural and social center, but the city's cultural and sports institutions have not been invested in and developed on par with the economy. The city has not been able to organize major events such as the SEA Games, and has not been chosen as the venue for regional, continental and world events. These are things that the city government is very concerned about.
Stuck in regulations on management and use of public assets
Besides the public system, Ho Chi Minh City has more than 20 private theaters operating relatively regularly in the fields of drama and reformed opera.
However, these stages all cooperate temporarily or short-term with District and County Cultural and Sports Centers; organize performances based on equipment and facilities used from existing systems...
Short-term cooperation (per performance or annual contract) is due to regulations on management and use of public assets.
"It can be said that, compared to neighboring provinces in the region, the number of cultural and sports facilities in Ho Chi Minh City is relatively large and evenly distributed throughout the districts, but the scale is small, and performance equipment has not been invested in a timely manner in the direction of modernization. In addition, the facilities of the industry have been degraded because they were built a long time ago; there is a lack of large projects that meet international standards" - the Department of Culture and Sports acknowledged.
(To be continued)
Source: https://nld.com.vn/nang-tam-voc-do-thi-dac-biet-nhung-de-bai-nong-196250312202501065.htm
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