Over the past time, Da Nang has gradually completed the system of cultural institutions at grassroots level, thereby creating conditions for localities to carry out cultural and sports activities in a bid to satisfy a growing demand for culture, sports and entertainment spaces of local residents.

In recent years, the Da Nang government has taken many specific solutions to protect and restore relic sites citywide. Most prominent is the restoration and embellishment of the Dien Hai Citadel. Photo courtesy: The Museum of Da Nang.

More investments spent on cultural development

In recent years, Da Nang has pumped more money into the building, upgrade and embellishment of new and dynamic cultural institutions across the city, such as the General Science Library, the Museum of Cham Sculpture, and the Da Nang Museum of Fine Arts.

In 2019 alone, the city's Museum of Cham Sculpture and the Museum of Da Nang welcomed 310,000 and 330,000 visitors respectively. Particularly, the Museum of Cham Sculpture - the cultural sector's only fully autonomous unit - annually contributes tens of billions of VND to the city budget from ticket sales.

In addition, Da Nang is one of the first localities nationwide to develop plans for the development of a citywide system of cultural and sports institutions at the grassroots level by 2025, with a vision towards 2030 in line with the Prime Minister-approved adjustments to the Da Nang Master Plan for its major developments by 2030, with a vision towards 2045.

Over the years, the municipal government has taken many specific solutions to protect, restore and preserve relic sites across the city.

Specifically, from 2015 to now, an amount of more than VND300 billion from the city budget has been spent on restoring, embellishing and preserving historical relic sites. Most prominent is the restoration and embellishment of the Dien Hai Citadel, and the relocation of the Museum of Da Nang and households nearby out of the Dien Hai Citadel site.

The Da Nang government has provided VND320 billion of funding to upgrade the existing headquarters of the municipal People’s Council at 42 Bach Dang into new Museum of Da Nang, nearly VND760 billion to build and expand the APEC Park, and  more than VND100 billion to embellish the landscape of the Thanh Nien (Youth) Park.

Moreover, cultural and sports institutions serving the learning and entertainment needs of children always attract the attention from the city's leaders. Most notable among them is the VND250 billion Children's Cultural Palace which was put into operation in 2016.

Satisfying people's entertainment needs

The Da Nang Children's Cultural Palace has promoted the role of a cultural and sports institution for children. IN THE PHOTO: Teenagers playing basketball at the Children's Cultural Palace. (Photo taken on April 5, 2021) Photo: NGOC HA

In order to quickly complete a citywide system of cultural institutions, in 2020, many culture and sports-related plans was issued by the municipal authorities. Prominent among them is a project for the development of a citywide system of cultural and sports institutions at the grassroots level by 2025.

Under the project, the city will prioritize allocating land to build cultural and sports institutions, as well as calling for more investment into such important cultural institutions as the Cinema and Culture Center and the Children's Cultural Palace in the west of the city.

Aside from key cultural and sports works, the city will pay attention to urban space planning in the direction of forming squares and living museums as urban highlights.

According to Prime Minister-approved Decision No. 359 regarding to the adjustment of the city's master plan towards 2030, with a vision to 2045, the city also targets at creating an urban highlight through the setting-up of a so-called “living museum”, which is expected to cover an 11-ha urban area in downtown Hai Chau District, with the national-level relic site Hai Chau village communal house placed at the centre, and the Dien Hai Citadel to be the highlight in the 4.4ha central square. This site still features time-honoured architecture landmarks and historical and cultural imprints, thus playing an important role in creating the image and soul of the city.

Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports Pham Tan Xu put a spotlight on the need for municipal government investment into improving the quality of human resources in cultural sector, and the efficiency of cultural activities to serve locals and visitors in the coming time.

Reporting by XUAN DUNG - Translating by M.DUNG