To add a human touch to this place

The new Da Nang City merged with Quang Nam Province, opening up a new development space. It is an urban area expected to become a “Modern city, rich in identity, with humane Da Nang people, high quality of life, joining the whole country in the era of national development” by 2030.

Cultural space is also a rich treasure trove of music , communal houses, temples, steles, customs, and practices... Photo: VAN TRUYEN

We hope and believe that the above goal will come true, because this is a historical moment, the advantages, domestic and foreign opportunities, and potential of the land of "five phoenixes flying together" have never been promoted as positively as they are today.

What is the biggest problem of Da Nang in the coming time? What is the position of cultural factors in the process of “entering the era of national development”? This article presents some thoughts and tries to propose some wishes.

Economic development in harmony with culture

It has long been a common perception that economics determines politics (and culture). Generally speaking, culture is the result of economic development. However, culture is not a passive product of the economy. On the contrary, culture, as the most important part of the superstructure, has a decisive impact on the scale and quality of economic growth. A city with a developing economy, opportunities for youth advancement, and especially a rich cultural life, is truly a livable city.

It is common to see that when making policies, people tend to lean towards investment solutions for economic growth, especially when the need for social security is still high but social resources are limited, the difference in living standards between regions is large, so little attention is paid to cultural investment.

That is a fact, but if not noted from the beginning, the inadequacy of cultural life will be the factor that hinders development. A locality where cultural life is poor and monotonous, where people live like creatures existing with instinctive satisfaction, cannot be the target of policy, let alone the object of perfection.

A livable place is not only a place with jobs but also a place worth loving, a place that can create personality sublimation and comprehensive human development.

The key is to identify the right advantages and choose the priority investment areas. There are many factors that influence the decision and choice, but the most important are the level of technology, management capacity and consumer market.

The development goal must put harmony in growth, especially effectively exploiting cultural heritage alongside building cultural life in a constantly changing society, a Da Nang of 5 years and 25 years from now known as a symbol of development with human values, values of dignity and kindness spread is the dream of many people. Today's culture will shape the quality of a humane city tomorrow.

Current limitations such as "The scale of the economy is still small, not attracting strategic investors", or "The level of cultural enjoyment is still different, especially in mountainous areas, islands, and ethnic minority areas"... can be soon overcome with appropriate policies and solutions.

But to build a city with harmonious economic development and culture, a clean environment, where people live together with love and affection, and behave humanely... is extremely difficult, if not the most difficult, because it is the sum of a vision and a cultural personality.

Cultural space

Da Nang has world cultural heritages, which are not only places to attract tourists but also anchors spiritual values, a harmony between the past and the future. Cultural space is also a rich treasure of music, communal houses, temples, steles, customs, habits... We will preserve them as invaluable assets in the goal of building a modern, humane city.

Elderly people attend the Tuy Loan communal house festival. Photo: VAN TRUYEN

There are many things to do to promote the spiritual value of Da Nang. For example, everyone knows that on March 8, 1965, the US landed in Da Nang, starting the war of aggression. The location where the infamous US Marine Corps' open-mouthed ships landed is known as Xuan Thieu beach (old Thanh Khe). This place deserves a stele to commemorate the event that started the resistance war with the famous slogan "grab the American belt and fight", this place will be a memorable place, and also a place for visitors to remember that they are standing in front of a famous place every time they pass by.

Hue chose the most beautiful houses, in the most beautiful locations to create spaces for Le Ba Dang, Diem Phung Thi (from Quang Tri), Trinh Cong Son (Hue)... where every day domestic and foreign tourists come to admire and remember one of the most talented people. Da Nang and Quang Nam (old) have many famous people in many fields. We can dedicate worthy memorial spaces to talented people like Hoang Tuy, Bui Giang, Luu Quang Vu, Nguyen Van Xuan... They are the pride of the people, the creative inspiration for the next generation.

Not long ago, public opinion discussed a lot about the existence of Da Nang Publishing House, analyzing its effectiveness as a pure enterprise, it could make profit and loss according to the business operation mechanism. However, if it were considered as a cultural agency, with a long history of publishing tens of thousands of books, including famous authors and works, many years with works winning the National Good Book Award, it deserves a different fate.

Da Nang Publishing House has made an important contribution to shaping the city’s cultural and literary image. This becomes even more meaningful and urgent when Quang Nam merges with Da Nang, hundreds of authors, dozens of universities… from now on must ask for permission to publish their brainchild through another publishing house. Meanwhile, near Da Nang, there is a locality with a smaller population but in the area there are two publishing houses.

Stopping a publishing house or a cultural institution is simple, but contributing to help it grow and become a launching pad for creative horizons is much more difficult.

Spread kindness

To spread, there must be something to spread and most importantly, there must be someone to spread it. Many people were moved and happy to know that every year, the leaders of Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, etc. had a sincere meeting with outstanding intellectuals and artists, including those who are usually stubborn. They sat throughout the session, listened with a sincere and respectful attitude, and left each other with a warm and energetic feeling.

It is said that in the past, when he was the Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City, comrade Vo Van Kiet was also very sincere with the artists. Someone said that if there was no Secretary with a vision and tolerance like Mr. Vo Van Kiet, we would not have the immortal works of musician Trinh Cong Son as we have today.

Saying this to let you know that the city's intellectuals and artists really need to share and if possible, give suggestions from the authorities.

In the past, just a good poem or a beautiful painting could be famous for posterity, but it took kings who valued talent, like the prosperous Tang Dynasty, to produce nearly a thousand poets whose works were gems. The East and the West have many examples of the sophistication of outstanding kings, who, through their listening and appreciation, promoted the development of literature.

We are entering a new era, an era of national development. Never before has the issue of protecting cultural values and the "deep national identity" been as urgent as it is today.

Building a humane society is not only about brilliant theaters, magnificent buildings, captivating festivals... but also about kind hearts, about memories and aspirations for creative horizons, about behaving with love and meaning.

Besides the large-scale tourist complexes, we do not forget the paths for the disabled, the playgrounds for children, besides the luxurious restaurants, there is no shortage of coffee shops that gather souls, where there are people who still know how to listen to bai choi or a sentimental lyric...

Quang noodles are as easy to make as six-eight poetry but as difficult as having a delicious bowl of noodles with the authentic flavor of my hometown Quang.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/de-noi-nay-them-dau-an-nhan-van-3299049.html