A vibrant amateur arts scene

Grassroots cultural and artistic movements across Dong Nai City have experienced strong and widespread growth in recent years. Numerous amateur arts clubs have been established and have maintained effective operations.

Members of the Binh Phuoc Don Ca Tai Tu Club perform for local residents in a ward of Dong Nai City.

These clubs provide a platform for people who are passionate about arts and culture to pursue their interests while playing an active role in public communication, enriching grassroots cultural life, and strengthening community bonds, contributing to preserving the locality's unique traditional artistic values.

A gathering place for art enthusiasts

Amid the vibrant development of the grassroots arts movement, the Dong Nai Center for Culture and Cinema has become a strong support for 17 affiliated cultural and arts clubs with more than 400 active members. From poetry, don ca tai tu (Southern amateur traditional music), folk songs, traditional music, and singing and dancing to modern dance, each club possesses its own distinctive identity, contributing to a rich cultural landscape that meets the public's artistic and cultural needs.

Among them, the Tran Bien Poetry Club is one of the most enduring and influential models. Established in 2003, the club has served as a "common home" for poetry lovers, particularly senior members, for more than two decades. The club’s enduring creative vitality is reflected in more than 700 literary works produced during 2025 and the first six months of 2026. Many of these poems have been selected for publication in both central and local newspapers and magazines.

Dong Nai currently has hundreds of cultural and arts clubs operating actively across its 95 communes and wards, covering a wide range of art forms, including poetry, don ca tai tu, folk songs, then singing, and gong performances. Most clubs operate voluntarily, attracting broad public participation and contributing to the continued development of grassroots cultural movements.

Poet Minh Ha, Chairperson of the Tran Bien Poetry Club, shared: “From only a handful of members in its early days, the club now has more than 50 members who participate regularly in the club’s activities. Every month, members gather to read and discuss poetry, exchange writing experiences, and share stories about life and their creative journeys. The club also actively exchanges with poetry clubs inside and outside the city, enabling members to broaden their perspectives and improve the quality of their works. The club publishes an annual poetry collection both to commemorate our creative achievements and as a meaningful gift to readers”.

Beyond nurturing poetry enthusiasts, amateur arts clubs also help preserve and promote many forms of traditional performing arts. Notably, the two don ca tai tu clubs under the Dong Nai Center for Culture and Cinema maintain vibrant activities through regular rehearsals, performances, and exchanges, contributing to the preservation and promotion of the Don ca tai tu art form within community life.

According to Bui Sy Chinh, a member of the Binh Phuoc Don Ca Tai Tu Club: “The greatest joy for artists devoted to don ca tai tu is performing for the public and passing this traditional art form on to younger generations. In the coming years, we will continue improving the quality of our activities, actively participate in community performances and exchanges, and further promote this traditional art form, which has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.

Alongside poetry and don ca tai tu, revolutionary songs continue to be preserved and promoted through the activities of the Traditional Comrades' Singing Club. According to Nguyen Thi Hop, Chairperson of the Binh Phuoc Don Ca Tai Tu Club, each club gathering and performance is more than simply an opportunity to sing together, it is also a chance for members to recall the nation's glorious history and inspire patriotism. Through exchanges with schools, local communities, and various organizations, the club hopes that revolutionary songs will continue to preserve historical traditions and foster love for the homeland among the public.

Bringing community arts closer to the people

In addition to the clubs affiliated with the Dong Nai Center for Culture and Cinema, amateur arts activities across communes and wards throughout the city are equally vibrant. Community arts clubs and performance groups have effectively served on the ideological and cultural front by bringing the Party's guidelines and the State's policies and laws closer to the people through songs, music, and dance in an accessible and engaging way.

Many highly effective models include the Don Ca Tai Tu Clubs in Long Thanh Ward, Tan Phu Ward, and Dong Tam Commune; the Then Singing and Tinh Lute Ensemble in Thanh Son Commune; the Ma ethnic cultural performance team in Ta Lai Commune; the Gong Club in Binh Trung Hamlet, Phu Trung Commune; and the Traditional Folk Arts Clubs of the Stieng, Khmer, and Muong ethnic communities in Nha Bich Commune. These clubs have played an important role in preserving traditional cultural heritage while enriching the spiritual life of local residents.

According to Ton Thi Thanh Tinh, Director of the Dong Nai Center for Culture and Cinema, the center has consistently prioritized the development of grassroots cultural and artistic movements by encouraging, guiding, and supporting clubs in maintaining effective performances. These clubs not only provide opportunities for art lovers to interact, learn, and develop their talents, but also help improve cultural life, strengthen community solidarity, and spread cultural values throughout society.

“In the coming years, we will continue supporting these clubs through professional guidance, creating favorable conditions for exchange programs, performances, and training courses. These efforts will further improve the quality of club activities, strengthen the role of community arts in public communication, preserve traditional cultural values, and better meet the requirements for developing Dong Nai's culture and people in a comprehensive manner during the new era”, Tinh added.

By My Ny - Translated by Diec Quyen, Thu Ha