HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese folk culture and arts have developed strongly since 1975, both in the fields of collection, dissemination, and education, said Chairman of the Association of Vietnamese Folklorists, Professor Dr Lê Hồng Lý at a conference that was held in Hà Nội on October 18.

The scientific conference titled Folk Culture and Folk Arts of Việt Nam after the Reunification of the Nation (1975-2025) was organised by the Association of Vietnamese Folklorists. It was attended by many cultural specialists nationwide.

According to the professor, many folk cultural heritages have been collected, restored, documented, and practised in daily life. Some heritages, once considered superstitions, have now become World Cultural Heritage, such as the Worship of the Mother Goddesses of the Vietnamese people, or the collection of an epic treasure from the Central Highlands.

However, folk culture and arts are undergoing significant transformation in the current digital age, he added. The development of technology poses a major challenge to folk culture, as the space and living environment of folk culture is rooted in rural areas.

“Due to the strong influence of international integration, rural areas are gradually being urbanised, and the space for folk culture and arts is increasingly diminishing. This presents a significant challenge in preserving and developing folk culture and arts,” he said.

“Customs, practices, and folk cultural heritages, from religious rituals and festivals to folk songs and dances, are at risk of fading away. This places a significant responsibility on those involved in collecting, researching, and preserving cultural heritages, as well as on policymakers tasked with creating strategies that both safeguard the values of these heritages and promote the dissemination of folk culture and arts within the community.”

The professor also cited several exemplary cases of artists and musicians successfully incorporating folk elements into their music, such as Hòa Minzy and Đức Phúc. By integrating folk culture into modern musical works, they not only promote cultural heritage but also preserve and develop the national cultural identity.

Associate Professor Dr Nguyễn Chí Bền, former director of the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies, noted that folk culture and arts across the country have achieved significant accomplishments since 1975. The collection and research of folk culture in the south are part of this overall development, encompassing various forms such as folk literature, folk arts, folk performances, as well as folk knowledge, craft villages, beliefs, and festivals, along with artisans.

He highlighted the need for the comprehensive study of folk culture in the south, the establishment of a databank for southern folk culture, and the promotion of research achievements in southern folk culture to domestic and international audiences in the context of international integration and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Associate Professor Dr. Trần Thị An from the Việt Nam National University noted that cultural activities in general, and folk culture and arts in particular, have gradually taken shape and developed in new directions. The activities of collecting and researching folk arts in three cities – Hà Nội, Huế and HCM City - have shown progress, harmonising collection and research efforts.

Researcher Nguyễn Thị Hải Anh from the Basic Sciences Department at Thái Nguyên University analysed the opportunities and challenges in preserving and promoting Vietnamese folk culture in the digital age, focusing on the role of online platforms such as TikTok and YouTube.

These platforms not only facilitate the expansion of the reach of heritage but also pose risks of distorting standards and decontextualising traditional culture.

She proposed an approach to preservation that does not rely on maintaining the original form, but instead focuses on the capacity to sustain living traditions, the ability to participate, and the re-creation of identity in the digital environment.

Besides the conference, the Association of Vietnamese Folklorists will coordinate with the Việt Nam Museum of Ethnology to organise a programme celebrating four Vietnamese intangible cultural heritages that have been recognised by UNESCO - the Cultural Space of Gongs in the Central Highlands, cải lương (reformed opera), Ví Giặm Folk Singing and quan họ (love duet) singing – from October 18-19. — VNS