On July 21, the Ho Chi Minh City Council for Literary and Artistic Theory and Criticism, together with the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission of the HCMC Party Committee, held a seminar titled "From Preserving Traditional Values to Affirming the Core Values of Ho Chi Minh City Residents."
The event aimed to discuss and propose solutions to promote traditional cultural values while building and spreading the city's human value system in the new era.
Dinh Thi Thanh Thuy, Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission of the HCMC Party Committee and Standing Vice Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Council for Literary and Artistic Theory and Criticism, said that amid globalization and the rapid development of information technology and social media, preserving traditional customs and cultural values must go hand in hand with building a value system suited to a modern urban environment.
She said the shift from simply preserving traditions to affirming the core values of Ho Chi Minh City residents is strategically important, helping cultivate positive qualities and reinforce the image of the city's people as civilized, modern, and compassionate.
According to the organizers, the seminar focused on identifying traditional cultural values in the current context and defining the distinctive characteristics of Ho Chi Minh City residents. Participants also examined challenges posed by the market economy, social media, and international integration, while proposing measures to strengthen the roles of families, schools, communities, and the media.
Many participants argued that developing the city's human value system should be placed at the center of Ho Chi Minh City's development strategy.
Vice Principal Bui Tran Quynh Ngoc of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, said the value system should be translated into clear standards linked to human resource development, education, and training strategies, while fostering a consistent educational environment across families, schools, society, and digital platforms. She added that young people should not only be the recipients of value-based education but also become active promoters of the city's core values.
Pham Phuong Thao, former Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council, said the city's residents have developed a distinctive identity through the city's history of settlement and development, characterized by openness, tolerance, compassion, pioneering spirit, dynamism, creativity, and resilience in both national struggles and development.
At the same time, she said the city should continue addressing uncivilized behavior in urban life, including littering, tardiness, and inappropriate conduct in public places.
Meritorious Artist Ngo Pham Hanh Thuy proposed that the core values of Ho Chi Minh City residents should include patriotism, civic responsibility, compassion, solidarity, dynamism, creativity, honesty, civility, modernity, and aspirations for international integration.
She said schools should lay the foundation for shaping these values, while artists and cultural practitioners have the responsibility to convey traditional values through works that resonate with contemporary life, ensuring that cultural heritage continues to thrive within the community.
Participants in a discussion reached a broad consensus on the core values that should define Ho Chi Minh City residents, which include patriotism, compassion, and solidarity; honesty, responsibility, and discipline; dynamism, creativity, and the courage to innovate; and international integration, civility, and modernity, according to Le Van Minh, Standing Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission of the HCMC Party Committee.
He said these values represent a synthesis of Vietnam's cultural traditions and the pioneering spirit of a special urban center.
To further promote traditional values and strengthen the city's human value system, Standing Deputy Head Le Van Minh outlined five key groups of solutions. According to him, among them are balancing the preservation of traditional culture with the adoption of the world's cultural achievements, promoting heritage in modern life, selectively embracing progressive global values, and supporting the development of cultural industries while enhancing the city's international image.
He said that the transition from preserving traditional customs to affirming the core values of Ho Chi Minh City residents is a continuous process of inheritance and development that requires the participation of the entire political system and society, with every resident playing a central role in practicing and promoting these values.
