Bridging communities through ethnic cultural values

Preserving and promoting the cultural identities of Vietnam's ethnic communities has become increasingly urgent amid deeper international integration, helping safeguard traditional values against growing cultural exchange, reinforcing the nation's unique identity and ensuring sustainable national development.

Young people showcase traditional ethnic costumes at the 2026 Ethnic and Religious Youth Festival.

By promoting ethnic cultural values across digital platforms and maintaining cultural exchange activities for ethnic youth, Youth Union organizations at all levels have provided young people with more opportunities to learn about the diverse cultural heritage of the city's ethnic communities.

Creating opportunities to explore ethnic cultures

For many years, the Dong Nai City Youth Union (DNYU) has organized annual provincial-level festivals for ethnic and religious youth in localities with large ethnic minority populations. This year, Binh Phuoc ward was selected to host the 2026 Dong Nai City Ethnic and Religious Youth Festival.

According to Nguyen Tran Phuong Ha, Deputy Secretary of the DNYU, President of the Dong Nai City Students' Association and Chairwoman of the City Young Pioneers Council, the festival serves as an opportunity to raise awareness among young people about the Party's guidelines and the State's policies and laws on ethnic and religious affairs while fostering their sense of responsibility for preserving and promoting ethnic cultural identities and building a civilized, compassionate lifestyle.

Beyond the annual festival, Youth Union organizations also incorporate traditional cultural values into various youth-oriented programs, activities and competitions held throughout the year.

Featuring activities such as the cultural product and traditional food display contest, themed “Connecting Cultures - Spreading Identity”; the traditional costume contest, “Colors of Dong Nai Culture”; and folk games, this year's festival attracted teams representing Youth Union emulation clusters from across the city.

Participating in the traditional food and cultural product exhibition, Emulation Cluster No. 6, comprising Phu Lam, Dak Lua, Nam Cat Tien, Ta Lai, Dinh Quan, Phu Hoa, Phu Vinh, Thanh Son, La Nga communes and Tan Phu ward, introduced a variety of signature dishes and beverages from different ethnic minority communities. According to Nguyen Phuong Hoang Duy, Secretary of the Tan Phu Ward Youth Union and Head of Emulation Cluster No. 6, cuisine is far more than a source of daily nourishment; it preserves each ethnic group's traditions, customs and cultural identity.

At the festival, the cluster introduced four signature specialties, including khau nhuc, a traditional braised pork dish of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups; wild bamboo shoot soup, a traditional dish of the Mong people; boiled chicken served with yellow ant salt, a specialty of the E De and Gia Rai communities; and ruou can (jar wine), a traditional beverage widely enjoyed by ethnic groups in the Central Highlands.

In addition to traditional cuisine, participating teams also displayed everyday utensils and musical instruments closely associated with the cultural life of Vietnam's ethnic communities.

Nguyen Vu Thien An, an eighth-grade student at Ngo Quyen Secondary School in Song Ray commune, said the festival had given her a deeper understanding of the traditional foods, costumes, musical instruments and unique cultural features of the city's ethnic groups. She added that the experience had strengthened her awareness of the younger generation's responsibility to preserve and promote ethnic cultural identities throughout the community.

Spreading cultural values

Beyond taking part in cultural activities, many young people from ethnic minority communities have become active ambassadors for preserving and promoting their own cultural heritage.

The orchestra of Dong Nai Intermediate School of Culture and Arts performs at political and public events across the city in 2026. Photo: My Ny

As a young member of the Khmer ethnic community, Thi Smay, from K'Lieu Hamlet in Loc Thanh commune, introduced a range of traditional Khmer dishes at the 2026 Dong Nai City Ethnic and Religious Youth Festival with the hope of sharing the traditional values of her community and helping preserve Khmer cultural identity in modern life. Among the highlights was Ka Tum cake, a traditional delicacy commonly prepared during Khmer festivals and holidays, symbolizing hopes for prosperity and a fulfilling life.

Holding a ka-tum cake, Thi Smay explained that the wrapper is woven from palmyra palm leaves. The ingredients used to make ka-tum cake include glutinous rice, white beans, coconut, sugar and salt, mixed with several other seasonings. After being wrapped, the cakes are boiled in water for about 40 to 50 minutes, then removed, briefly soaked in cold water, drained and tied into bunches.

Although ka-tum cake is a distinctive cake of the Khmer people, she said not many people today know how to make it. Hoping to preserve the cake and keep its preparation method from being lost, Thi Smay learned from her mother when she was young how to make ka-tum cake and many other traditional cakes of the Khmer people. Today, she can make most traditional cakes of the Khmer people on her own.

At the Colors of Dong Nai culture traditional costume contest, Youth Union members Dieu Thi Ngoc Ha and Dinh Quang Duy, both from Minh Duc commune, chose to present the traditional attire of the Tay and S'tieng ethnic groups.

Quang Duy said that wearing the traditional costumes of Vietnam's ethnic groups was more than simply taking part in a competition; it was also a way to express respect for their cultural heritage. He added that such activities help strengthen solidarity among ethnic groups while encouraging communities to work together to preserve and promote their cultural identities for future generations.

From traditional utensils and musical instruments to cuisine and costumes, the festival illustrated how ethnic cultural values can be naturally preserved and shared. More importantly, it highlighted the growing role of young people as a bridge in carrying forward and spreading the rich cultural heritage of Vietnam's ethnic communities.

By N. Son – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho