Party chief calls cultural well-being a measure of progress

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (standing) addresses the working session. (Credit: VNA)

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has underscored the significance of culture, saying that it is a spiritual foundation of society, a measure of national progress and on par with politics, economics and the environment.

Human beings and the environment in which they stay are what matters in any cultural development policy, the Party leader told senior officials of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Hanoi on October 18.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh briefed Nguyen Phu Trong about outstanding achievements made by the sector over the past four years.

The nation now reports over 5,000 artists, 446 training centres of culture, sports and tourism, and nearly 1,000 vocational schools that benefit as many as 80,000 students.

It is also home to 20 world heritage sites, 48 special national relic sites, 67 national treasures, 3,211 national relic sites, 69 national intangible cultural heritages and 145 museums holding close to 3 million objects and materials of different kinds, he said.

With nearly 2 million jobs generated in January-September, the tourism sector brought home VND179 trillion (US$8.5 billion), up 19% year-on-year.

Over 38 million arrivals were recorded during the period, with 6 million from overseas, marking an annual rise of more than 10%.

To leverage past success, the leader called for culture officers around the country to be given better training, in both virtues and professional skills, as well as all possible resources for the cause.

He took the occasion to ask the ministry to showcase more images of Vietnam, its life and country to the world.

Participants suggested improving relevant regulations and laws while strengthening State management in cultural affairs.

NDO/VNA

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