Preserving and promoting the cultural identity of Dong Nai

Under the brilliant golden sunshine of the Year of the Horse 2026, the calm Dong Nai River flows gently like a silk ribbon, symbolizing the link between the region’s dynamic growth and its rich history.

In that flow, the preservation and promotion of heritage and cultural identity not only enrich the spiritual life of the people but also provide a solid foundation for Dong Nai to confidently enter a new spring with aspirations for sustainable development, harmonizing tradition and modernity.

Awakening the "precious gems" along the Dong Nai River

In the early days of spring, walking along the banks of the Dong Nai River, festive drumbeats from communal houses, pagodas, and shrines ring out joyfully, blending with the brilliant yellow apricot blossoms. Dong Nai takes pride in being a land with a history of more than 325 years of formation and development. From Tran Bien Temple of Literature, a symbol of the spirit of studiousness and respect for talent, to the Bien Hoa Ancient Citadel, and to time-honored riverside communal sites such as Ong Pagoda, Nguyen Huu Canh Temple, and Tan Lan Communal House, all are "living witnesses" recounting the ancestors' journey of opening and expanding the land.

Long Binh Victory Monument (in Tam Hiep Ward) is one of the "red addresses" for cultural and historical education for young people in Dong Nai. Photo: My Ny

Identifying heritage as an invaluable asset, the province has recently stepped up conservation and restoration work to "awaken" relics after a long period of degradation. Typical examples include surveying, assessing the current status, and proposing repairs for the VK98 Fuel Depot Relic on the Truong Son - Ho Chi Minh Trail; the Project on Preserving and Promoting the Value of Tran Bien Temple of Literature Relic; restoring the Relic of the Founding Site of Division 125 - the predecessor of the Cambodia's united armed forces for national salvation; rearranging displays and urgently repairing several degraded items at the Tan Hiep Prison Relic; and urgently repairing several items at the Bien Hoa Provincial Party Committee Base (U3) Relic.

In communes and wards with ranked relics, heritage is being "revived" step by step in community life through cultural, educational, and tourism activities. Thematic talks on local history at relics and scenic spots, or tours, experiences, and "return to the source" programs at revolutionary historical relics... have attracted many students, residents, and tourists.

Ngo Tan Bong, Head of the Management Board of Hung Long Communal House (in Chon Thanh Ward), shared, "The communal house is not only a place to worship the pioneers and later generations who had the merit of reclaiming this land, but also the soul of the village and a thread connecting generations. To prevent the heritage from fading, we actively coordinate with schools to organize extracurricular sessions, helping students directly experience the Cau Bong Festival of the Kinh people, a National Intangible Cultural Heritage held annually at the communal house. When successive generations understand and love traditional values, the heritage truly “lives” and spreads within the community".

However, in the digital age, preservation is not limited to restoring artifacts; it also brings heritage “to life” in multi-dimensional spaces. Sharing this new direction, Director of Dong Nai Museum Nguyen Ngoc Yen said, "Digitizing heritage through the application of digital technology not only helps permanently store data but also makes it easier for domestic and international tourists to access, making the values of relics closer and more attractive to the public."

Accordingly, Dong Nai Museum has proactively carried out the digitization of artifacts and relic records in 2D and 3D, built an open database for research, and installed QR code systems and automated audio guide devices at Tran Bien Temple of Literature. A standout highlight over the past year was the successful rollout of a 360-degree virtual reality tour at An Hoa Communal House, introducing the Binh Phuoc Cultural Space... allowing viewers to experience heritage in the most authentic way from anywhere.

Entering 2026, Dong Nai's cultural sector continues to effectively implement Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW on building and developing Vietnamese culture and people. In this, digital technology is identified as the "key" to managing and promoting heritage and cultural identity, helping traditional values reach closer to residents and tourists from across the country and abroad.

Member of the Provincial Party Committee,

Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism LE THI NGOC LOAN

Renewed vitality in craft villages and festivals

The appeal of Dong Nai's culture also lies in the distinctive fusion of the cultures of ethnic minorities such as the Ma, Choro, and S'tieng... with the culture of resident communities who have come here to settle and build their lives. The revival of many traditional craft villages, such as Bien Hoa ceramics, the brocade weaving of the Ma and S'tieng people, Tan Trieu pomelo village, and Buu Long stone village, is the most unmistakable evidence of Dong Nai's relentless efforts to preserve and promote the values of its identity.

Economic development linked with preserving cultural identity is creating momentum for Dong Nai to rise strongly. In the photo: Ethnic minorities in Dong Nai province safeguard and promote traditional brocade weaving. Photo: Truong Hien

Speaking on the determination to restore traditional crafts, Chairman of the Bien Hoa Ward People's Committee Thai Thanh Phong said, "The locality has integrated the orientation for developing the ceramics craft into the Resolution of the 1st Ward Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term. We focus on expanding international markets, organizing an annual Ceramics Festival, and boosting online promotion. In particular, extracurricular programs that help students learn about Bien Hoa ceramics have and will continue to help the younger generation appreciate, take pride in, and spread the unique products of the Dong Nai region."

Bien Hoa ceramics has become a brand, a product that crystallizes the artistic and historical values of the Dong Nai region over more than 325 years of formation and development.

In 2025 alone, many of Dong Nai’s heritage elements were inscribed on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Specifically, the hand-pounding rice custom of the S'tieng and M'nong people, the Death Anniversary of Marquis Nguyen Huu Canh, and the Sayangva Festival of the Choro people. Dong Nai's culture, sports, and tourism sector has organized gong-training classes for ethnic youth in the communes of Ta Lai, Bu Gia Map, and Thien Hung, and established folk art clubs to nurture the cultural "lifeblood" right from the grassroots level.

According to Vice Chairman of the Tan Hung Commune People's Committee Le Viet Truyen, in recent times, the locality has stepped up efforts to restore and maintain annual festivals. The commune has coordinated with artisans to revive the Cau Bong Festival of the Kinh people, the New Rice Festival, and the Pha Bau Festival of the S'tieng people, among others. festivals associated with the lives of agricultural residents and folk beliefs. In particular, the commune has restored the brocade weaving craft of the S'tieng people in connection with the OCOP product model, both preserving the craft and helping develop the local economy.

Turning heritage into a driver of development

While encouraging results have been achieved, efforts to preserve and promote heritage and cultural identity in the Dong Nai region still face many challenges. These include limited funding for restoration, a shortage of successors in craft villages, and the need to balance monument preservation with rapid urbanization. Ensuring that the values of heritage, cultural identity, and the land and people of Dong Nai are not forgotten or distorted amid modern life remains a significant concern, requiring the joint efforts of the entire political system and the community.

Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Thi Ngoc Loan emphasized that, in the current context, culture is not only an element that defines identity but has also become an essential soft resource for sustainable development, especially in the fields of tourism and cultural industries. In the period ahead, Dong Nai will focus on preserving and promoting the characteristic cultural values of each region, from the cultural space of gongs of the S’tieng, M’nong, and Ma ethnic groups to handicrafts and folk knowledge.

“The important thing is not just to preserve each heritage but to connect those values into a unified, identity-rich cultural space. When relics, festivals, craft villages, and folk-art forms are placed in a harmonious connection, heritage will truly become a driving force for development, creating a unique attraction for Dong Nai in the flow of integration,” Loan shared.

Having been attached to this land for more than 70 years, writer Nguyen Thai Hai (Dong Nai Literature and Arts Association) confided, "Dong Nai today still retains unique cultural features through its system of heritage and festivals. Dong Nai people are chivalrous and tolerant, reflecting the character of the people in the Southeast region, much like the flow of the river, which is inherently peaceful and benevolent.”

The new spring of the Year of the Horse 2026 is opening a new journey. When heritage is adequately preserved and creatively promoted, cultural identity is not only safeguarded but also becomes a resource that drives tourism, education, and community cohesion. Like the Dong Nai River, which steadily flows and carries alluvium to nourish both banks, it also nurtures cultural values across generations. The heritage of this land is being carried forward, serving as a precious asset for the province to step confidently into the future, joining hands to build a dynamic, modern, and compassionate Dong Nai that remains rich in identity.

By My Ny - Translated by Minh Hong, Minho