Festival for Dong Nai artists

On the full moon of the first lunar month of the Year of the Horse 2026, poetry and art enthusiasts across Dong Nai once again have the opportunity to gather and share creative inspiration at Vietnamese Poetry Day and Dong Nai Artists’ Day.

Artists and performers of the Dong Nai Art Theatre perform at the meeting between provincial leaders and local intellectuals and artists on the occasion of the 2026 Year of the Horse. Photo: Cong Nghia

More than merely a gathering for poetry, Vietnamese Poetry Day and Dong Nai Artists’ Day are also an occasion to ignite creative inspiration in the nation’s new era, motivating the local artistic community to accompany the development of their homeland and the nation.

Poetry and art reaching the public

People’s Artist Giang Manh Ha, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Stage Artists' Association and Chairman of the Dong Nai Literature and Arts Association, said that, in line with the 2026 activity plan, the association has been intensifying efforts to introduce and promote new works. New books and publications celebrating the Party and welcoming spring have been released. Meanwhile, dozens of works from the Dong Nai Arts Magazine have been selected and widely introduced to the public.

“Vietnamese Poetry Day and Dong Nai Artists’ Day are not only occasions to honor creative achievements but also opportunities for works to reach closer to the people. The association will continue organizing photography and fine arts exhibitions, poetry-based music performances, and presentations of excerpts and outstanding stage plays. Through these activities, poetry will not only be recited but also conveyed through various art forms, serving the public, especially the younger generation,” People’s Artist Giang Manh Ha shared.

In preparation for Vietnamese Poetry Day and Dong Nai Artists’ Day 2026, members of the specialized committees have actively composed, performed, and promoted new works. Many authors and artists have introduced dozens of works themed around the Spring of the Horse on social media platforms such as Facebook and Zalo, helping bring art closer to everyday life.

In the field of poetry, notable works include Lang nghe by Tran Ngoc Tuan; Nghi ve mua xuan by Tran Bao Thu; Que huong xanh xanh by Trieu Quoc Binh; and Giao thua by Nguyen Thi Hieu. In music, composer Tran Viet Binh released Mua xuan con van nghe tho Bac (lyrics based on a poem by Nguyen Tan Van); composer Cao Hong Son introduced his new composition Ngon lua trong toi. Meanwhile, photography has recorded hundreds of works capturing spring moments, festivals, and the rhythm of early-year labor and production, creating a vivid portrait of local cultural and social life.

According to musician Le Hang, Deputy Head of the Music Section of the Dong Nai Literature and Arts Association, the application of technology and the use of social media to promote works are inevitable trends, enabling artists to expand their reach to the public. Many of her musical compositions based on poems by local authors have been performed at artistic programs and widely shared online, bringing them closer to music lovers.

On the afternoon of March 3, at the Golden Palace Convention Center in Tam Hiep ward, the Dong Nai Literature and Arts Association will organize the 2026 Vietnamese Poetry Day and the Dong Nai Artists’ Day program. Within the theme Truoc bien lon (In front of the Great Sea), in addition to artistic performances, poetry recitations, and the introduction of musical works based on poetry, the program will also hold dialogues with artists, admit new members, and launch an emulation movement.

For works to become the voice of the era

Beyond movement-based activities, Vietnamese Poetry Day and Dong Nai Artists’ Day 2026 set higher expectations for the creative community: how to ensure that each work transcends personal emotion and becomes the shared voice of the era. In the context of digital transformation and deep international integration, artists cannot stand outside the flow of innovation. From poetry and music to theater, fine arts, and photography, each discipline is proactively exploring and experimenting with new forms of expression and modern approaches to audiences.

According to People’s Artist Giang Manh Ha, entering a new era, alongside efforts in creation and promotion, the provincial artistic community hopes Dong Nai will develop at least one national-level cultural and artistic creative space bearing the imprint, identity, and brand of the province. Organizing distinctive, large-scale music festivals featuring renowned domestic and international artists would attract tourists and encourage audiences to visit Dong Nai to experience unique cultural products. At that point, culture would truly become a driving force for development.

From the perspective of a young artist, Nguyen Huyen Quy, a member of the Dong Nai Literature and Arts Association, said young artists are an essential creative force that, for many years, has been and continues to be identified, nurtured, and supported by the association to develop sustainably. However, to integrate more deeply, young artists need opportunities to participate in regional and national competitions, festivals, exhibitions, and specialized workshops at both levels, as well as opportunities for exchange, learning, and intensive training. This platform is an essential foundation for the creative journey toward new works that vividly capture the pulse of contemporary life, helping to spread the image of a dynamic, humane, and culturally distinctive Dong Nai on the national artistic map.

In practice, with more than 600 members active across 10 specialized fields, including 118 members of national-level associations, Dong Nai’s artistic community is increasingly maturing in both quantity and quality. In 2025 alone, the association published 12 issues of Dong Nai Literature and Arts Magazine, with more than 51,000 copies printed; organized dozens of exhibitions, artistic programs, and creative camps within and outside the province; and saw its members win 136 domestic and international awards. These figures are not only achievements but also affirm the position and reputation of Dong Nai artists on the national cultural-artistic map.

As another full moon of the first lunar month arrives, each Dong Nai artist sets new goals and aspirations for themselves. Facing the great sea, they choose to commit themselves, renewing themselves through intellect, courage, and social responsibility. Because more than anyone else, artists understand that when their works touch the hearts of the public and when art accompanies the pace of development of their homeland and the nation, they affirm and enrich Dong Nai’s cultural identity within the shared flow of the nation.

By My Ny – Translated by Minh Hong, Minho