Cultural and artistic clubs in Hai Phong - places to preserve community culture

The core of cultural and artistic clubs contributed to the success of the 2025 National Mobile Propaganda Contest held in Hai Phong .

Gathering of art lovers

In early August, the hall of the Hai Phong City Cultural, Cinema and Exhibition Center was filled with laughter as members of the Poetry Club enjoyed the newly released poetry collection “First Sweet Fruit of the Season” by author Nguyen Bich Thai. With 65 poems written in many genres, the work evokes the love between mother and child, teacher and student, love between couples and love for the homeland. Each verse is like a piece of life, making the listener both moved and proud of the simple things around them.

In another space, members of the Hai Dong Han Nom - Calligraphy Club are diligently working on ancient documents. Since its establishment, tens of thousands of Han Nom pages have been translated by the club, of which 4 volumes of Hai Duong Han Nom Heritage with 2,400 pages have become valuable materials for research and teaching. In addition, club members have also composed thousands of parallel sentences, large characters, hundreds of poems, and inscriptions to serve cultural and press works during holidays and Tet.

Young artist Nguyen Cong Dat, a member of the Hai Dong Han Nom - Calligraphy Club, said: “The previous generation left us a treasure trove of valuable heritage. As a young person attached to calligraphy and woodblock art, I wish not only to continue but also to renew, bringing those values closer to today's youth. Re-engraved paintings of Con Son - Kiep Bac on woodblocks is a way for me to both learn from my ancestors' quintessence and further promote Hai Phong culture.”

Launching ceremony of Hai Phong City Artists Club.

Not only research, the clubs also bring folk music into today's life. In Nam Trieu ward, the Pha Le Dum Singing Club maintains regular monthly activities. Folk melodies resound in the countryside of Phuc commune, and then continue the tradition to the next generations. Ms. Dinh Thi Luan, the club's director, hopes to bring Dum Singing to schools so that students can understand and be proud of their homeland's identity. "Financial difficulties still exist, but the enthusiasm of the members is making an important contribution to preserving this unique folk art form of the port city," Ms. Luan said.

Connecting, building pride

The above activities are just a few slices of the rich cultural life of Hai Phong city. The whole city currently has hundreds of cultural and artistic clubs at the grassroots level, attracting tens of thousands of members from many generations.

The valuable point of the clubs is the spirit of teaching. Through regular meetings, the young generation not only learns artistic skills but also imbues them with love for their homeland and pride in the heritage left by their ancestors. Thanks to that, the heritage is not “framed” in museums but is vividly present in today’s life.

Cultural and artistic clubs are contributing to the formation of a healthy, rich spiritual life for the city’s residents. More than a meeting place, it is a “common home” that connects people with a common love of culture, creating a strong community.

Cultural and artistic clubs actively participate in many exchange and performance programs of the city.

This meaning is also consistent with the orientation in the Strategy for Vietnam's Cultural Development to 2030 according to Decision No. 1909/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister , emphasizing the task of building a healthy cultural environment, considering culture as the driving force for sustainable development. In Hai Phong, cultural and artistic clubs are the practical core contributing to realizing that goal. However, the activities of the clubs are still limited in terms of funding, facilities and staff. Lack of resources makes it difficult to organize large-scale programs, invest in costumes and props; living spaces in many places are not stable; and young people do not participate much.

According to Mr. Nguyen Trong Khoi, former Chairman of the Poetry Association Council of Hai Phong City, in order for the activities of cultural and artistic clubs to be effective, good management factors and clear capacity are needed to link the activities of the facilities with the common cultural life of the city.

Ms. Bui Thi Anh, Deputy Director of the City Center for Culture, Exhibition and Cinema, said that in the coming time, the center will continue to accompany the clubs by expanding playgrounds, enhancing exchanges, fostering expertise and attracting young people. At the same time, the center will promote socialization, mobilize more resources to support facilities and equipment, helping the clubs operate more effectively, contributing to promoting the image of Hai Phong as a dynamic, creative and culturally rich city.

From maintaining living spaces, organizing teaching to creating and exchanging, clubs are affirming their important role in preserving and promoting national identity. It is not only a story of preserving the past, but also a way to sow the seeds of cultural love in the younger generation, so that the values of origin continue to be nurtured and shine in the future.

Up to now, the whole city has 41 hobby clubs under the City Culture, Exhibition and Cinema Center with a large number of members, in addition to thousands of clubs and art troupes of communes and wards. The clubs and mass art troupes operate enthusiastically, actively contribute and organize many activities to serve the political, economic and social tasks of the city, contributing to improving the spiritual life of the people.

HA LINH

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/cac-cau-lac-bo-van-hoa-nghe-thuat-o-hai-phong-noi-luu-giu-van-hoa-cong-dong-518733.html