The Party Committee of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports held its congress for the 2025–2030 term on July 3.

The congress was themed "Building an advanced culture rich in national identity – a driving force for national development in a new era – the era of Vietnam's rise."

The congress took place as the entire Party and people are striving to celebrate major milestones, including the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the 95th anniversary of the Hanoi Party Committee, the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification, and the 80th anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

According to Pham Xuan Tai, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, despite global political shifts and the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2025, Hanoi achieved encouraging results in implementing Party resolutions.

In cultural heritage preservation, the city has completed an inventory of its relics and remains the locality with the highest number of recognized sites in the country, totaling 6,489 relics.

The city also issued a public investment resolution covering 579 restoration and conservation projects, with a total budget of over VND14 trillion (US$535 million).

Many relic sites have actively created diverse tourism and cultural products. Notable examples include nighttime experience programs at Hoa Lo Prison with the "Sacred Night" series, the Temple of Literature with the "Essence of Confucianism" event, and Ngoc Son Temple with the "Mystical Night of Ngoc Son" tour.

The "All People Unite to Build Cultural Life" movement, which focuses on new rural areas, civilized urban areas, cultural families, cultural villages, and agencies meeting cultural standards, has achieved meaningful progress.

Cultural development in families is linked to the implementation of the Code of Conduct in the family setting. Festivals have been held in a respectful, safe, efficient, and cost-effective manner.

The city has also invested in grassroots cultural infrastructure. Hanoi currently has 5,266 cultural and sports facilities.

The two Codes of Conduct for public servants and in public spaces continue to be implemented, accompanied by a wide range of communication activities such as art and photography contests.

In the field of cultural and artistic activities, the department organizes seven to ten festivals and competitions each year.

On average, city theatres have produced 18 new performances and stage over 3,000 shows annually.

Successful events include the "Hanoi Singing Voice" competition, the fifth Capital Theatre Festival, the sixth and seventh Hanoi International Film Festivals (HANIFF), and the 2022 International Circus Festival.

Regarding sports development, Hanoi has promoted mass participation in sports to improve physical and mental health, stature, and life expectancy, especially for the younger generation.

High-performance sports remain a strength. At the 31st SEA Games, Hanoi's delegation exceeded expectations with 151 medals, including 62 golds, accounting for over 30% of Vietnam's total.

Building on these achievements, participants at the congress acknowledged existing challenges and proposed practical solutions to further develop culture and sports in the new era, with the goal of making Hanoi a national hub for culture and sports.

Le Hong Son, Standing Deputy Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, praised the department's leadership and addressed the opportunities and challenges facing the culture and sports sector.

He noted that with the Capital Law being implemented, Hanoi is well-positioned to transform its cultural resources into a driving force for socio-economic growth and become a regional center for cultural industries.

However, Son pointed out a major bottleneck: the prevailing mindset in cultural management remains overly administrative, with little emphasis on market dynamics, creativity, and global integration. Many cultural and sports resources have not been fully utilized.

To address this, he called for a shift from administrative control to a mindset of facilitation and partnership.

The cultural sector must recognize culture as a key resource for sustainable development and economic growth.

The state's role should focus on creating an enabling environment for creative organizations.

Management must move away from state subsidies toward market-oriented and socially inclusive mechanisms, including support for public-private partnerships and cultural enterprises.

He also urged the sector to shift from maintaining the status quo to pioneering innovation, from closed, inward management to open integration, and to embrace artistic experimentation, creating new spaces for creativity and encouraging innovative thinking in policy execution.

Son emphasized the need for increased international cooperation, participation in global creative networks, and support for artists to enter international markets. Management must be transparent, and digital technologies should be more widely adopted.

"Transforming the management mindset of Hanoi's cultural sector is not the responsibility of a few individuals or units," he said.

"It requires a fundamental shift, from a control-based model to a service-oriented one, from an administrative approach to a creative one, and from state subsidies to a market-driven mechanism."

In addition to management reform, Son stressed the importance of developing a well-qualified, tech-savvy, and resilient workforce.

The sector should focus on training, identifying, and nurturing young talent and establishing cultural and artistic talent funds to provide timely support and development.

The congress elected 14 members with the necessary qualifications and capacity to the Party Committee of the Department of Culture and Sports for the 2025-2030 term.