Expanding spaces for community cultural activities

After more than a year of implementing the two-tier local government model, the system of cultural and sports facilities across Dong Nai City has been gradually invested in and has proven increasingly effective.

Residents of Tam Hiep Ward engage in outdoor physical training and sports at Long Binh Victory Park.

Numerous new projects have been put into operation, and many community activity spaces have been expanded, better satisfying the demand for cultural enjoyment and physical training among the public, while contributing to building cultural life at the grassroots level.

Enhancing the effectiveness of cultural and sports facilities

One of the most notable projects completed and put into use recently is the military-civilian cultural complex in Xuan Phu Commune. The facility includes a synthetic football field and 20 sets of outdoor fitness equipment, built at the commune’s Cultural and Community Learning Center with a total investment of more than VND560 million. Besides providing residents with opportunities to improve their physical fitness and quality of life, the complex has also become a venue for cultural, sports and community exchange activities.

As a regular visitor to the center, Le Thi Thuy An said the atmosphere in the locality has become much more vibrant since the facility was put into use. “Every afternoon, people of all ages gather here to exercise. Young people play football, while older residents practice gentle exercises and use the outdoor fitness equipment. It has also strengthened neighborhood bonds,” she said.

Alongside Xuan Phu Commune, many other localities across Dong Nai City are investing in and expanding public cultural and sports spaces. In Tam Hiep Ward, a children's cultural space has been opened at Long Binh Victory Park, while a public outdoor fitness area worth around VND300 million has been developed through socialized investment, creating an additional recreational venue for local residents.

According to Vice Chairman of the Bien Hoa Ward People's Committee Truong Vinh Hiep, over the past time, the locality has reviewed the entire system of cultural and sports institutions, investing in the construction and renovation of multiple neighborhood offices. Notably, the locality has constructed and inaugurated the Ward Cultural, Sports, and Community Learning Center featuring various components such as an administrative office block, a security house, a parking lot, gates, fences, a courtyard, and other ancillary works.

Hiep said: “ In a bid to maximize the effectiveness of cultural and sports institutions, Bien Hoa Ward will continue to mobilize socialized resources, encouraging enterprises and the public to join hands in upgrading infrastructure and equipment. Thereby, we can better satisfy the demands for cultural activities, learning, and physical exercises of citizens, especially migrant workers.”

Coupled with digital transformation and socialization

In addition to investing in infrastructure, many localities have focused on improving the operation of cultural facilities through digital transformation and socialized investment.

In Dong Tam Commune, 35 smart public loudspeaker clusters have been installed across 23 hamlets, while all community cultural houses now provide free Wi-Fi, contributing to improving public communication as well as supporting learning and community activities. The commune has also renovated two community cultural houses in Dong Tien 6 and Suoi Doi hamlets to expand public gathering spaces. Dong Tam aims to ensure that all of its cultural facilities operate effectively by 2030.

Following the principle of "the State and the people working together," Phu Lam Commune has established numerous football, badminton, fitness and performing arts clubs, attracting widespread participation from local residents.

Pham Trinh Xuyen, Head of Phu Lam Commune’s  Phu Thach Hamlet, said that without socialized funding, it would have been difficult for the locality to invest comprehensively in cultural and sports activities. "The support and contributions from local people have enabled us to carry out many projects and organize activities beyond what the public budget could have covered," he said.

In addition to public spaces such as parks, squares and community activity areas, Dong Nai currently has nine provincial-level cultural institutions, five national-level sports facilities and thousands of sports and fitness venues at residential areas. Between 2026 and 2030, the city aims to equip more than 90% of commune-level cultural facilities and hamlet and neighborhood cultural-sports centers with outdoor fitness equipment. More than 80% of grassroots cultural and sports facilities are expected to adopt digital technology, while over half of commune-level cultural facilities and hamlet and neighborhood cultural houses are targeted to effectively implement socialized cultural activities.

Dong Nai now has more than 3,000 sports facilities in operation, including 270 indoor training halls, 196 swimming pools and over 2,600 outdoor sports grounds. In addition, more than 2,800 privately invested sports and fitness venues have helped expand opportunities for local residents to exercise and improve their health.

To achieve these targets, Dong Nai is strengthening public awareness campaigns while improving both the content and quality of activities at cultural and sports facilities. The city is also focusing on developing a modern and synchronized system of public facilities aligned with its socio-economic development planning, encouraging organizations and individuals to invest in and operate such facilities through social mobilization mechanism. Priority will also be given to allocating land reserves for sports and physical activities while renovating aging facilities to better meet the cultural and sports needs of residents.

By My Ny - Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha