The community libraries system in Ha Noi is recognised as a cultural institution impacting residents’ spiritual lives.

In recent years, Ha Noi has gradually completed support policies to enhance the effectiveness of rural cultural institutions during the process of building new rural areas.

Recently, Ha Noi has developed, implemented, and issued a system of guidelines and orientations for organising activities within the rural cultural institutional framework. Along with this, functional units have actively advised issuing mechanisms and policies to promote the socialization of culture and sports, encouraging organisations, individuals, and businesses to invest in building cultural and sports facilities. Thanks to the efforts of various levels and functional sectors, the local cultural institutional system has been increasingly improved and operates more effectively.

In Phuc Tho, in order to build and complete the system of grassroots cultural and sports institutions, the district has focused on promoting propaganda and advocacy activities and mobilising resources to build and complete the system of cultural and sports institutions, gradually promoting the effectiveness of cultural institutions at the grassroots level.

Currently, in Phuc Tho district there are 166 cultural houses and meeting houses; 21/166 cultural houses, village sports areas and residential groups meet standards according to the criteria of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; There are 21 commune and town sports fields and 21 commune cultural post offices. In addition, in villages and residential groups, we also take advantage of cultural courtyards, communal courtyards, and multi-purpose gymnasiums at agency headquarters, schools, and vacant land areas to organise cultural and artistic activities. entertainment, exercise and sports every day at the facility.

With a basic investment in the system of grassroots cultural and sports institutions, up to now 100 per cent of villages and residential groups in Phuc Tho district have established cultural, artistic, and physical training clubs  and gradually put activities into order. Every year, festivals are organised for village art clubs, neighbourhood groups, volleyball, badminton, nursing tournaments which attract a large number of people.

Dang Van Mao, Secretary of the Party Cell and Head of Village 6, Van Phuc Commune (Phuc Tho District) mentioned that the village’s cultural center was built in 2015. Since then, it has served as a venue for village meetings, Party Cell meetings, associations, organizations, voter interactions, and many cultural and sports activities. Especially, he emphasised that daily operations involve assigning members of the cultural center’s management board, the Party Cell Secretary and the head of the village to be on duty, work, and handle tasks. Therefore, the cultural center is always open, providing space for residents to play, exercise and organise activities.

Ha Noi develops new rural areas while enhancing the effectiveness of rural cultural institutions.

As of July 2024, Ha Noi has 2,339 village cultural centers, accounting for 99.3 per cent of villages and residential groups in suburban areas. Most of these centers are equipped with essential facilities such as audio systems, ceremonial equipment, tables, chairs, bookshelves, paintings, and photographs. Some centers, benefiting from broad campus and socialized investment, feature fitness and sports equipment like pull-up bars, dip bars, badminton courts, and football fields to meet residents’ exercise needs.

Nguyen Van Chi, Deputy Chief of the Standing Office of the Coordination Office for Ha Noi’s New Rural Development Programme, remarked those localities where Party committees and governments show greater interest tend to have better-invested and more effectively operated cultural centers. From the planning stage, localities proactively implement suitable mechanisms and policies to attract, mobilize, and efficiently utilise social resources, resulting in well-structured, modern cultural institutions.

By effectively deploying cultural institution activities, the spiritual life of Hanoi’s rural residents has seen significantly positive changes, contributing to building advanced and exemplary new rural areas in localities. VNS

*The article is published under the coordination of the Coordination Office of the New-Style Rural Development Programme in Ha Noi.