Hanoi (VNA) – 𒐪As the Government continues to develop the country’s cultural industry, ethnic traditional values have been considered a valuable resource for building a diverse and unified Vietnamese identity.

Vietnam has 54 ethnic groups which share various values but also boast their own unique cultural traditions. To take advantage of this, significant attention is needed to the ethnic cultural environment, which includes daily activities, spiritual beliefs and arts, among others, Professor, Dr. Le Hong Ly, Chairman of the Vietnam Folk Arts Association, said at a forum in mid-April. He added that such environments nurture communities that form their own personalities and qualities.  Also at the forum, Dr. Tran Huu Son from the research institute on culture and tourism application stressed that building a cultural environment is an important yet difficult task for the culture, sports and tourism sector. The work must consider the specific characteristics of each locality, as well as appropriate policies, resources and methods, he said, adding that in areas populated by ethnic minorities and poverty-stricken regions, urgent and long-term solutions are required. Informing participants on the strong growth of social networks among northern mountainous ethnic minorities since 2010, the expert noted it is necessary to study these networks and turn them into a cultural institution in building a healthy cultural environment in line with the country's overall development goals. Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Hoai Son, Standing Member of the National Assembly's Committee for Culture and Education, meanwhile, spoke of the role of the community in organising their own cultural events. A traditional festival only succeeds when people organise it by and for themselves. They must also get involved in the process of evaluating its effectiveness and, more importantly, benefit from the event, he added./.