Fostering cultural industries to elevate urban development

With a 328-year history and a rich cultural heritage, Dong Nai is steadily unlocking the potential of its cultural industries, viewing them as a new driver of economic growth and a means of improving the quality of urban development.

As Vietnam enters a new era of development, the city has identified the promotion of its strongest sectors as a priority, aiming to build a distinctive cultural brand that contributes to GRDP growth while supporting the development of a smart and creative urban center.

Strategic investment aligned with local strengths

Le Truong Son, Member of the City Party Committee (CPC)’s Standing Board and Vice Chairman of Dong Nai People's Committee, recently signed Plan No. 53/KH-UBND, dated June 2, 2026, on implementing Vietnam’s Cultural Industries Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2045, across Dong Nai.

The strategy identifies five priority cultural industry sectors for development: cinema, performing arts, advertising, handicrafts, and cultural tourism, all of which are aligned with Dong Nai’s development potential.

Students of Dong Nai Intermediate School of Culture and Arts perform at a cultural diplomacy event hosted by the city.

Under the strategy, Dong Nai aims to develop its cultural industries in a professional, modern and sustainable manner by 2030 while preserving and promoting local cultural values and identity. The city also seeks to create a favorable environment for cultural and entertainment-related creative, production and business activities, thereby contributing more significantly to socio-economic development and improving the spiritual well-being of residents. Looking ahead to 2045, cultural industries are expected to contribute between 3% and 5% of the city’s GRDP.

Notably, Dong Nai has set an ambitious goal of becoming a smart, sustainable and culturally distinctive city on par with leading urban centers in Asia. The city also plans to develop a portfolio of high-quality cultural products capable of reaching international markets, while encouraging locally produced digital content and entertainment software to integrate more deeply into global value chains. At the same time, the Long Thanh Airport area is expected to develop into an international events and entertainment hub, positioning itself as one of Southeast Asia’s leading 24-hour destinations.

Although Loc Thanh commune remains a predominantly agricultural locality with relatively limited cultural industry resources, it has begun leveraging traditional cultural values to develop community-based tourism and services. Local authorities have focused on preserving and promoting distinctive cultural traditions of the S’tieng and Khmer communities, including festivals such as the New Rice Festival and Pha Bau Festival, through digital platforms. The approach is helping safeguard cultural identity while attracting visitors to the locality.

According to People's Artist Giang Manh Ha, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Theatre Artists Association and Chairman of the Dong Nai Literature and Arts Association, cultural industries have become an inevitable development trend. Grand concerts and large-scale music festivals held across Vietnam in recent years have demonstrated that culture can generate significant economic value when developed through professional and well-planned investment. Therefore, Dong Nai should accelerate planning of land bank and develop large-scale cultural and artistic creative spaces, including performance complexes, multifunctional theaters and outdoor arts venues capable of hosting national and international events.

“The contingent of writers and artists hopes the city will establish at least one major literary and artistic creative space that reflects Dong Nai’s unique identity and cultural brand. Such a venue would provide a foundation for organizing distinctive grand concerts featuring renowned domestic and international artists, helping attract visitors while showcasing the city’s cultural products. Cultural industries can also become a significant source of revenue contributing to Dong Nai’s economic development,” Ha said.

Human resources training and technology adoption as key drivers

To make cultural industries a meaningful contributor to the local economy, Dong Nai has identified high-quality human resources development as a central priority alongside policy and mechanism improvements. The city plans to strengthen intellectual property protection, promote innovation, expand domestic and international cooperation, and encourage private-sector participation in developing and operating cultural and entertainment spaces suited to local conditions. At the same time, efforts will continue to upgrade cultural infrastructure and improve the effectiveness of community-based cultural institutions.

For many years, Dong Nai Intermediate School of Culture and Arts and Dong Nai College of Decorative Arts have played a vital role in training human resources for the sector. Each year, Dong Nai Intermediate School of Culture and Arts enrolls more than 250 students in disciplines such as traditional musical instruments, Western musical instruments, dance and vocal performance. For the 2026–2027 academic year, the school plans to recruit an additional 80 students across its specialized programs.

According to Master Phung Ngoc Long, the school’s principal, training programs are closely linked to performance practice, while supporting political missions and serving local communities. Students not only study professional skills but also regularly participate in performances, festivals and competitions to gain hands-on experience. This provides an important foundation for graduates to adapt quickly to professional working environments and helps supply high-quality human resources for the development of Dong Nai’s cultural industries in the years ahead.

Trang Bom ward is among the localities actively applying digital technology to preserve and promote cultural heritage values. Numerous documents, photographs and records relating to relic sites and traditional festivals have been digitized and archived electronically. Notably, the locality has completed the digitization of two revolutionary heritage sites: the Trang Bom Military Sub-zone Victory Site and Hung Vuong Cultural Park. In addition, the Memory Station project, a space dedicated to preserving and sharing local historical stories, has been put into operation, helping educate younger generations and promote awareness of local heritage.

Alongside these efforts, Dong Nai is accelerating the application of science, technology and digital transformation in the management, promotion and development of cultural activities. The city is implementing programs to digitize cultural heritage and typical cultural archives while supporting businesses and cultural organizations in accessing innovation and digital transformation initiatives.

By 2045, Dong Nai aims for all cultural institutions and tourist attractions to operate on smart management platforms utilizing AI and big data technologies. Major cultural heritage assets and archives will also be fully digitized to support preservation efforts and enhance the city’s image.

Cultural industries are opening up new opportunities for Dong Nai to capitalize on its rich cultural resources and create new momentum for sustainable development. With a clear strategy, a long-term vision and the support of the entire political system, businesses, writers and artists and local residents, Dong Nai is steadily transforming culture into a key endogenous resource, helping build a modern, dynamic, civilized and prosperous city.

By My Ny – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha