BẮC GIANG — Bắc Giang Province aims to raise its investment in culture to at least 2 per cent of total annual budget expenditures, and by 2030 intends to reach a minimum of 4 per cent.

Students at SmileKids High-Quality Kindergarten, Bắc Giang City learn and experience wrapping chưng cake during the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday in 2024. — Photo courtesy of SmileKids High-Quality Kindergarten

"Bắc Giang Province will increase investment resources for the cultural sector, ensuring that the proportion of budget spending on culture increases along with economic growth," said the Vice Chairman of Bắc Giang Provincial People's Committee Mai Sơn.

The province will prioritise investment resources to build several key cultural and sports projects, creating premises to host national and international events and cultural institutions. Bắc Giang focuses on planning and building the Provincial Sports Complex, the Provincial Museum and Provincial Library, as well as Completing the construction of the Cultural - Exhibition Centre, Provincial Stadium and Traditional Art Theatre.

In addition, the province effectively promotes the functions of the cultural institution system from the province to each commune, especially the system of cultural houses, cultural and sports centres and libraries, as well as supports the construction, maintenance and replication of cultural and sports clubs.

Bắc Giang also invests in transportation infrastructure systems connecting tourist areas and destinations and encourages organisations, individuals, and businesses to invest in preserving and promoting traditional cultural heritage values and creating new cultural values.

The province is an ancient land, at the intersection and transition between the mountains and the delta, between ancient Red River Delta culture and the culture of ethnic minorities in the Northeast. It has the cultural nuances of the Kinh Bắc cultural region as well as of ethnic minorities such as Tày, Nùng and Giao.

Bắc Giang has 755 ranked relics, including five relics at the special national level, 96 national relics, and 625 provincial relics. There are four national treasures and nearly 800 traditional festivals in Bắc Giang.

There are 16 heritage sites included in the list of national intangible cultural heritage, along with four traditional art forms listed by UNESCO as representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity and heritage in need of urgent protection.

Currently, Bắc Giang Province is closely coordinating with Quảng Ninh and Hải Dương Province to compile a scientific dossier on the Yên Tử - Vĩnh Nghiêm, Côn Sơn and Kiếp Bạc relics and landscapes to submit to UNESCO for recognition as a world heritage site.

The province also coordinates with relevant localities to prepare scientific documents to request UNESCO to register Chèo Art as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

From the provincial budget and supporting capital sources, Bắc Giang Province has invested in constructing key cultural projects.

In particular, the Bắc Giang Provincial Sports Stadium has been invested and put into use with a total investment of more than US$36,000. The stadium has a capacity of 4,000 seats, a total usable area of more than 8,000 m2, and a construction area of 15,532 m2.

Construction of the Provincial Cultural and Exhibition Centre began with a total investment of more than $20,000 with an exhibition area spanning 13,000m2, designed in the image of the Phoenix.

In addition, Bắc Giang has planned to build a national-standard stadium with a capacity of 40,000 seats and a multi-purpose traditional performing arts theatre with about 300 seats. — VNS