The evaluation was made by Nguyen Van Hung, member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism in a recent article, in which he affirmed that Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong was an exemplary person in practicing culture and a dedicated leader who wholeheartedly worked to develop Vietnam’s culture imbued with national identity.
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Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong with artists and delegates at the National Culture Conference in 2021 |
Great personality
Minister Hung said that during his life and revolutionary career, Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong attached much importance to national culture building and development cause. He wrote numerous articles and speeches with high theoretical and practical significance, affirming the important role of culture to Fatherland construction and defense cause and aspiration to develop culture amid many intertwined contradictions between tradition and modernity, between the old and the new, between integration and the promotion and preservation of the core and humane values of the nation.
As one of the leaders who devoted his whole life to the Party, nation, and people, Party General Secretary deeply grasped the task and mission that the Party and President Ho Chi Minh identified "Culture must light the way for the nation."
Minister Hung emphasized that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was a leader who left a special mark in the history of Vietnam in the early years of the 21st century in most fields, including culture. The General Secretary used to be a leading exemplary figure who creatively applied theories on building culture naturally with a kind, humble, and noble heart, always striving for the sustainable development of the nation and the happiness of the people. The General Secretary advised, "The happiness of human beings is not only in having a lot of money, possessions, good food, and beautiful clothes, but also in the richness of the soul, living in love and compassion, righteousness and justice."
Minister Hung recalled that in his speech at the National Cultural Conference in 2021, Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized that culture is the soul of the nation, expressing the nation's identity. As long as culture remains, the nation remains. This has become an important guiding principle, directing the development of the national culture and motivation for the cultural officials in the country to always strive, constantly move forward, with determination and aspiration to revive and successfully build an advanced Vietnamese culture, deeply imbued with national identity.
Throughout his lifetime dedicated to the country and the people, the General Secretary cared about the development of the national culture in the context of numerous challenges in the era of global international integration. He made great contribution to advancing the Party's ideological thinking on the development of Vietnamese culture, especially since the renewal process. The Party Chief directly involved in drafting and guiding the drafting of many important documents.
At the National Culture Conference in 2021, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong requested the urgent building of a national value system, cultural value system, family value system, and the standards of the Vietnamese people in the new period. Building these value systems is crucial for strengthening the ideological foundation and revitalizing culture, contributing to developing the soft power and sustainable internal strength of the nation.
Inspirer and motivator for culture development
Minister Hung emphasized that the efforts made by of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong contributed to turning culture into “soft power,” and a foundation for national development.
In his speech at the National Culture Conference in 2021, Party Chief reaffirmed the Party’s special attachment to the role of culture and the building of culture in the resistance war and national defense cause. He directed the sector to focus on six key missions and four groups of measures to build and develop Vietnam’s culture in the new period. He also highlighted the role, responsibilities, and outstanding contribution of localities, agencies, units, officials, party members, and people from all walks of life in preserving, building, and developing the Vietnamese culture and people.
The Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism said that the Party General Secretary’s acknowledgement, speeches, and directions on culture have become important orientation for the development of the sector. In the letter of congratulation on the sector’s foundation day in 2023, the Party Chief lauded staff working in the cultural sector for their achievements and asked them to strive to overcome difficulties and challenges. His encouragement and aspiration have become motivation for each individual to try harder.
Notably, in the last months of his life, the General Secretary published the book titled “Building and developing advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity.” It includes articles, speeches, and talks by the General Secretary on the building and development of Vietnam's culture.
Minister Hung said that grasping his direction, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has applied synchronous measures to develop culture. Together with building legal documents, the sector has organized various cultural events with larger scales and higher quality. Vietnamese culture has never been so deeply present at international, multilateral, and bilateral events as it has been in recent years. The Vietnamese sports sector has comprehensively developed, while the tourism sector is a bright spot in the overall economic picture of the country in the post-pandemic time. These achievements were acknowledged and highly praised by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
Concluding the article, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said that as a role model and with meticulous care and guidance, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong had a special place in the heart of staff of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Profoundly saddened by the passing of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the culture sector will stay united and overcome difficulties and challenges to further build the culture, the inner strength of the nation as the Party Chief once said and expected.
Nguyen Van Hung, member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism
Translated by Tran Hoai