Awakening Cultural Resources and Building the Ancestral Land’s People in the New Era

The Executive Board of the Provincial Party Committee officially enacted Resolution No. 28-NQ/TU dated May 7, 2026, on developing the culture and people of Phu Tho Province for the 2026–2030 period, with a vision toward 2045. The deployment of this resolution aims to realize the aspiration of transforming culture and human resources into the rock-solid foundation and endogenous strength to drive local socio-economic growth to “take flight” in the new era.

Phu Tho Phu Xoan Singing—a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity—is consistently safeguarded and promoted.

The Crystallization of Heritage Streams and the Drive to Rise

Phu Tho has long asserted its status as a sacred ancestral land—the cradle of the Vietnamese nation where the spiritual essence of mountains and rivers converges. The distinct uniqueness of local culture stems from the deep integration of three major cultural currents: the ancestral cultural space of the Ancestral Land, anchored by the Belief in Hung Kings Worship and Xoan Singing as the connecting spiritual axis; the traditional festival-rich current of the former Vinh Phuc territory; and the characteristic Muong cultural nuances closely tied to the renowned "Hoa Binh Culture." The harmonious blend of fraternal ethnic groups—including the Kinh, Muong, Thai, Dao, and Cao Lan—alongside unique folk arts, has forged a diversified and identity-rich cultural mosaic.

To date, the province proudly preserves 6 National Treasures, 2,778 historical relics, and nearly 2,000 intangible cultural heritages, including 5 UNESCO-inscribed heritages and 41 national-level heritages. Over the past years, identifying, inventorying, and investing in heritage conservation have been methodically deployed, progressively intertwining with sustainable tourism development. Major destinations and festivals—such as the Hung Kings’ Temple Festival, the Tay Thien Festival, and the Khai Ha Festival of the Muong ethnic group—not only successfully fulfill their mission of traditional education but also attract massive crowds of tourists, generating a powerful impetus for the local economy.

In parallel with tangible and intangible cultural values, humans stand as the central subjects preserving and promoting the treasures of ancestors. Born and raised in this sacred land, Mr. Nguyen Van Hong from Nong Trang Ward shared: "As a son of the Ancestral Land, I always feel profoundly honored to immerse myself in this ancestral cultural space. That pride constantly reminds me and future generations to live responsibly, preserve family traditions, and ceaselessly strive to contribute to our homeland."

Mr. Hong’s sentiments reflect the exemplary core virtues of Phu Tho’s people, which have been crystallized across generations: patriotism, solidarity, self-reliance, innovation, and compassion. Cadres and citizens of the Ancestral Land always embody a traditional fondness for learning, diligence and creativity in labor, bravery in struggles, and a deep-rooted sense of community cohesion.

According to Mr. Duong Hoang Huong, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, the culture sector has efficiently advised and deployed the mission of constructing a new cultural value system and human standards tied to a healthy cultural environment. The awareness of Party committees, authorities, and citizens has been significantly elevated. Numerous national and international large-scale events have been successfully hosted, and the Human Development Index (HDI) continuously improves, affirming that the human factor remains the center and most vital driving force of development.

Frankly speaking, however, the results of the province’s cultural and human development have yet to match its full potentials and expectations. Certain indicators remain modest compared to the national average, and significant disparities persist across regions. Social ethics occasionally exhibit signs of degradation in some quarters, and several traditional cultural values face the risk of fading away. Cultural institutions are not yet synchronized, lacking monumental, landmark structures, while the cultural industry experiences sluggish growth.

For an Identity-Rich and Happy Phu Tho

To overcome constraints and position culture on par with politics, economics, and society, the 1st Provincial Party Committee Congress for the 2025–2030 tenure defined a core mission: developing culture and human resources to genuinely become the foundation, endogenous strength, and driving force for socio-economic development and international integration; while transforming cultural industries and cultural services into the province’s competitive economic sectors. It aims to ignite the will and aspiration to develop the homeland, unlock historical values in tandem with conserving cultural heritages, reinforce social security, and upgrade the material and spiritual lives of citizens.

Concrete to that spirit, Resolution No. 28-NQ/TU sets a targeted milestone that by 2030, Phu Tho will emerge as the national cultural center regarding the roots of the Vietnamese nation. The province aims to build comprehensively developed individuals who embody the premium virtues of the nation while promoting outstanding characteristic values: patriotism, solidarity, self-reliance, innovation, and compassion.

By 2030, the province strives for its Human Development Index (HDI) to reach 0.78, and its Development and Happiness Index (VDHI) to hit a minimum of 85 points, steering Phu Tho into the group of highly developed and happy localities. Annually, the province commits to allocating at least 2% of its total state budget expenditure to the cultural sector.

This period will witness the birth of new iconic landmarks, such as the Hung Vuong Tower and the “Cultural and Spiritual Complex of Returning to the Roots of the Vietnamese Nation”; the completion of digital transformation across museums and libraries; and the formal nomination of Mo Muong heritage into UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. Looking toward a vision to 2045, Phu Tho aims to construct a highly nuanced, modern cultural foundation, propelling its Human Development Index and social welfare into the nation’s top tier.

To achieve these breakthrough milestones, the Executive Board of the Provincial Party Committee has outlined core tasks and solutions requiring the drastic involvement of the entire political system. Key focus areas include strengthening leadership and innovating mindsets, ensuring that Party committees and authorities deeply integrate cultural and human elements into all long-term development plans and master plans. The province will accelerate the campaign “All people unite to build a cultural life,” resolutely eliminating obsolete customs, narrowing educational gaps, and lifting the material and spiritual lives of citizens. Concurrently, it will drive technology application and digital transformation, specifically through the comprehensive digitalization of tangible and intangible heritage systems. Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, and Virtual Reality (VR) will be leveraged to manage and expand user-friendly ’digital culture“spaces and”open museums.“Furthermore, the province will vigorously develop cultural industries and tourism, focusing investments on high-end real-scene art performances integrated with digital technology based on the legends of the Hung Kings, shaping professional, key tourism zones, and restoring traditional craft villages coupled with tourism economy growth to translate”heritage into assets'...

Developing the culture and people of Phu Tho is defined as a regular, continuous, and long-term mission. With tailored, strategic solutions and the collective heart of the Party committee, authorities, and citizens, the targets of Resolution No. 28-NQ/TU will surely be translated into reality, forging a rock-solid spiritual foundation for Phu Tho to develop sustainably in the future.

Huong Lan