A boost for the development of Vietnam's cultural industry
WVR - From Phuong My Chi's soulful singing in China to Duc Phuc's historic victory in Russia, and the record-breaking revenue from the war film Red Rain – all have become vivid evidence of the new momentum in Vietnam's cultural industry.
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| National Assembly deputy Bui Hoai Son on the new momentum in Vietnam's cultural industry. |
It is not only a matter of national pride but also an affirmation that Vietnamese culture can indeed “ring the bell in foreign lands”, contributing to elevating the nation's status in the globa arena.
Potential to “Ring the bell in foreign lands”
Vietnam's efforts to develop its cultural industry in recent years have yielded commendable results. Phuong My Chi made waves in China by winning an award, and now Duc Phuc has achieved a higher accolade by clinching the top prize at Intervision 2025 – a prestigious international music competition held in Russia.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent a congratulatory letter, emphasizing that this achievement is not only a great honour for the individual singer but also a shared pride for contemporary Vietnamese music and culture.
These are positive and optimistic signals marking Vietnam's brand in the global art arena. We have identified the right direction in developing the cultural industry, not only preserving and maintaining national cultural values but also spreading these values worldwide.
Previously, when foreign music groups and singers like Blackpink, BTS... performed, the domestic audience was often overwhelmed. The youth were passionate about foreign music, while we have many national cultural values that can be crystallized into artistic products to successfully “ring the bell in foreign lands”, as evidenced by Duc Phuc's victory.
Subsequently, Hoang Thuy Linh's See Tinh became a trend with many famous artists following the trend. Then Chi Pu, Phuong My Chi, Duc Phuc... stepping into the world is not just a temporary phenomenon but reflects the trend of exporting Vietnamese culture globally.
Today, the competition of soft power worldwide holds significant importance, not only in spreading culture but also affecting the economy and the comprehensive strength of a nation. With systematic steps, inspired by the aforementioned events and supported by appropriate policies from the Party and State, Vietnam's cultural and artistic products will gradually secure a firm position in the global art market. This will truly be our soft power in the current context.
Essential factors for development
Previously, we often thought that commercial films by Tran Thanh, Ly Hai could only reach the tastes of young people and the general audience. However, with the right approach, historical-revolutionary-war dramas can still successfully attract audiences, generating explosive revenues. This is the approach of the cultural industry.
The phenomenon of Red Rain will certainly be mentioned for a long time. Although it explores the historical/war theme, often considered dry and niche, the film has been very successful in terms of revenue, even setting box office records.
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| A scene from the film Red Rain. (Source: Van Nghe Newspaper) |
The success of Red Rain stems from various reasons. The first reason is the social sentiment, which is very supportive of a film or artistic product with a patriotic theme, honouring national historical values. Successful films in 2025 all revolved around this theme, such as Underground: The Sun in the Dark, which also achieved significant revenue.
Not only in cinema but in music, songs praising the country also received special attention from audiences. Many songs have strong resonance. Major music festivals like V Fest – Glorious Youth, V Concert - Radiant Vietnam, the national concert Homeland in the Heart, and many other large programs have successfully conveyed patriotic messages.
There are many other aspects related to the cultural industry. Firstly, the story of talent and creativity. Recent strongly resonating artworks have successfully embedded important messages while aligning with audience tastes. For example, musician Nguyen Van Chung with Continuing the Peace Story or the DTAP Group with the album Made in Vietnam.
Another crucial factor is technology. There has been a significant shift in using technology, helping artistic products shine. In Red Rain, many cinematic effects and new technologies were used, making the product more realistic and relatable, better meeting audience demands, especially young audiences – the main customer group of the art market.
Another important factor is business skills. For a product to succeed, it needs to spread, requiring skills in audience development, market expansion, and brand building. This is evident in how a film can reach a wide audience; the film crew must work with cinemas, engage with audiences, and appear on media and social networks to spread the message.
Untying the “knots”
We must reflect on shortcomings and weaknesses to progress, as focusing only on the glitz and assuming success can lead to excessive pride and misguided actions. Evaluating bottlenecks and difficulties is also crucial for overcoming them and moving forward more effectively.
Firstly, is the awareness of the cultural industry. Although there has been a strong shift, we do not always have a correct and comprehensive understanding of the significance and role of the cultural industry. Without proper awareness, we won't know how to invest or be bold, confident, or make mistakes when developing the cultural industry towards the market.
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| Singer Duc Phuc wins at the Intervision 2025 competition. (Source: Sputnik) |
The cultural industry is not merely about economics, as some cultural products aim for larger purposes beyond economics. If a museum or library is built solely to sell tickets and charge fees to recoup investment, it will never achieve the purpose of building apartments or supermarkets. A more correct and comprehensive understanding of this is needed.
Secondly, policies and laws need further refinement. Recently, there have been efforts to build a legal policy system for the cultural industry, but certain inconsistencies remain.
We need to protect the Vietnamese film industry. Although some domestic films have recently achieved high revenues, many others have not been as fortunate. There are various film genres, and this diversity helps cinema develop in the future. In light of their difficulties, tax incentives are necessary to mobilize society's participation in film production.
From a resource perspective, more renowned artists and significant artistic talents are needed, including directors, musicians, singers, and actors with international brands to lead the arts sectors. For example, in cinema, a director of international caliber, winning major international awards, is needed, as achieved by Korean and Chinese cinema. More Duc Phucs are needed in the future; more individuals are needed to undertake various roles to create a team, an ecosystem in the cultural industry, not just artists.
Regarding infrastructure, more large performance centres are needed to organize events, creating a broader market, thereby attracting investment resources – this is a spiral of impact, supporting each other for mutual development.
Vietnam's cultural industry is now entering a promising phase, where each artistic product not only holds entertainment value but also serves as a cultural ambassador, a soft power to promote the country's image.
The road ahead will undoubtedly have many challenges, but with the aspiration to rise, accompanied by the right policies, and with the belief and creativity of artists and the community, we can fully expect a bright future. That will be the day when Vietnamese melodies, films, and cultural symbols resonate and spread across the five continents.
