This is a practical activity to implement one of the six key missions set out by the Resolution of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam: “Arouse the desire to develop a prosperous and happy country; promote Vietnamese cultural values and human strength in the cause of national construction and defense, and international integration”.
er of the exhibition. Photo: Nam Nguyen
The exhibition displays 320 typical artworks, 123 precious documents and artifacts introducing Vietnamese culture before 1930; President Ho Chi Minh with the cause of the development of Vietnamese culture; Vietnamese culture with the cause of national liberation and reunification; Vietnamese culture in the process of national integration and development; conservation and promotion of national cultural heritages.
At the first National Cultural Conference held on November 24, 1946, President Ho Chi Minh emphasized that “Culture lights the way for the nation to go”. His teachings have become a guideline throughout the development of Vietnamese culture in the cause of national liberation and construction.
It can be seen that President Ho Chi Minh pointed out the important role of culture in the spiritual life of society, that is, the role of ideological orientation. Culture is associated with the formation of a new human being and is the driving force for the development of society. How culture can be deeply ingrained in the national psyche means that culture must be able to eliminate corruption, laziness, vanity, and luxury. At the same time, culture must make everyone have the ideal of autonomy, independence and freedom. At the same time, culture must make the nation have the spirit of self-forgetting for the country, forgetting its own interests for the common good. For society, culture must make each Vietnamese person, from old to young, both men and women understand their duties and know how to enjoy their happiness.
Artifacts reflecting President Ho Chi Minh’s simple lifestyle are displayed at the exhibition. Photo: BVH
Therefore, the highlights at the exhibition that Cultural lights the way for the nation to go are images and artifacts about President Ho Chi Minh with the development of Vietnamese culture, including many special artifacts such as Collection of New Year greeting cards of President Ho Chi Minh; Letter of President Ho Chi Minh to the Conference of Cultural Officers, dated February 28, 1957; the book Revolutionary Ethics in 1958; letter from President Ho Chi Minh to the Conference of Sports Officers in the North, dated 31 March 1960; manuscript of President Ho Chi Minh’s glorious achievements,… Besides, the exhibition also shows many images and artifacts reflecting the style, simple, noble and thrifty lifestyle of President Ho Chi Minh such as silk clothes; wooden clogs; bars; palm leaf hand fans etc.
Through the exhibition, the organizers expect to provide viewers with an overview of Vietnamese culture, together with arousing national pride, patriotic traditions, the desire to develop a prosperous and happy country; promoting the cultural values, moral qualities and intelligence of the Vietnamese, people, striving to build a society of wealthy people, strong country, democracy, justice and civilisation.
V.H