Ninh Thị Thu Hương, Director of the Department of Grassroots Culture. — Photo bvhttdl.gov.vn

The first days of the spring festival season have unfolded without any issues thanks to the efforts of local authorities and the introduction of a set of criteria issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Ninh Thị Thu Hương, Director of the Department of Grassroots Culture, talked with reporter Phương Anh from Báo Văn Hóa about the festival situation and how the criteria would change the festival landscape in Việt Nam.

Festivals are expanding in scale, length, and organisation methods to be more appealing to tourists. How would this situation pose new challenges in terms of management?

In Hà Nội, major festivals such as Gò Đống Đa Festival and Hai Bà Trưng Festival are organised on a larger scale and for longer durations than ever before, and incorporate new elements.

At Hai Bà Trưng Festival, for instance, the first-ever application of 3D mapping technology has been introduced to provide visitors with new festive experiences. The application has enhanced people's enjoyment of cultural values and brought a massive influx of tourists.

As people flock in large numbers to the festival, it becomes of paramount importance to keep everything in order and ensure streets are clean and food is safe. Planning is the key to being prepared for the unexpected.

For other prolonged festivals, including Chùa Hương Festival, Hội Xuân Yên Tử Festival, Phết Hiền Quan Festival, and Khai Ấn Đền Trần Festival, measures have been put in place to promptly handle any problem that might arise.

Some events that do not fit with the festival spirit have been eliminated. But as more people join in, what could be done to make people act more responsibly at festivals?

Many chaotic events have arisen from the misunderstanding of the true meaning of festivals and the limitations in management efforts. Every festival season presents an opportunity to fix them to make festivals a true "driver of culture".

Over the years, major festivals have grappled with overwhelming tourist crowds, leading to the degeneration of some events into chaos. One notable example was the event of giving out bamboo flowers during Đền Sóc Festival, which descended into a violent free-for-all years ago. Its organisers had to employ security forces to maintain order.

During Khai Ấn Đền Trần Festival, a scheme has been implemented to reschedule the event of giving out seals from the night of the 14th to the morning of the 15th. The rearrangement has helped end the frantic scene of people scrambling for seals.

But there are other issues at the festivals, including the burning of votive bills in the wrong places and the dropping of money on altars. All stem from people's misperception of festivals. In other words, if they understand the true meaning of festivals, they will change to act more responsibly.

Since the spring of 2024, local authorities have begun to implement the set of criteria for festivals issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The implementation will help improve how festivals are organised.

2024 will be the first year that the set of criteria for festivals has been put into action. What exactly do local authorities need to do?

The criteria are aimed at improving the organisation of festivals by local authorities and building a healthy cultural atmosphere in which all people's cultural needs are met.

They help concretise the guiding principles of the Party and the State in that regard, enhance festival management and raise people's awareness and responsibility when they participate in festivals.

They require local authorities to crack down on violations, such as rip-offs, eliminate violent rituals and prevent superstitious and cult-like activities at festivals that go against cultural norms.

The first days of the spring festival season have been relatively peaceful. However, as said by Minister Nguyễn Văn Hùng, we should not be satisfied with what we have achieved so far. Since the festival season is ongoing, the Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and other agencies should enhance management to ensure festivals will go off without a hitch. — VNS