When villages become a source of creative inspiration
In Ban Bon village, Lam Binh commune, Tuyen Quang province, Mr. Quan Van Du is one of the pioneers in bringing stories about the lives of ethnic minorities to cyberspace.
Since 2019, when he was still a student, Mr. Du has cherished the idea of building YouTube and Facebook channels to introduce his homeland. After 2 years working as a worker in Bac Ninh, in 2023, he returned to the village, taking fields and people's lives as startup materials.
When returning to the village, Mr. Du was still confused with the digital model but was supported by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the commune, the Youth Union and young people with the same passion. He was shared experiences in choosing topics, building content, filming and telling local cultural stories, thereby gradually perfecting his skills in developing digital channels.
Currently, his Dự Đông Bắc account has become a familiar channel on many platforms. The Facebook page has more than 179,000 followers, TikTok has more than 236,000 followers and YouTube has more than 25,000 subscribers.
Mr. Du combines content creation with business, bringing local agricultural products to consumers through digital platforms. In the bamboo shoot season, he supports people to sell at prices higher than traders' purchases by about 15,000 VND/kg, and at the same time coordinates with the government to promote many other specialties. This job currently brings in a monthly income of more than 1,000 USD for him and his family.
Also working on content about the culture of villages, Mr. Pham Tuan Trung, one of the people who created the Hoa Binh helo page, shared that the important factor helping his channels attract viewers is the authenticity of indigenous life. Natural scenes, daily life, and cultural features of ethnic minorities create curiosity and excitement for viewers everywhere.
Forming a digital economic ecosystem from national culture
From personal creations, cultural development on digital platforms is gradually being seen by local authorities as a new direction for economic and tourism development.
Mr. Truong Van Quang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Lam Binh commune (Tuyen Quang) said that along with the task of preserving and promoting traditional cultural values, the locality is gradually bringing culture to be associated with digital transformation, creating more opportunities for people to participate in the new economy.
According to Mr. Quang, to make the model effective, local authorities closely coordinate with the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the commune in propaganda and mobilization of people to participate in digital skills training classes, and at the same time connect businesses to survey, cooperate in product consumption and recruit local workers.
The government creates mechanisms, the Fatherland Front plays a good role in gathering and connecting, and businesses bring markets and job opportunities. When the three entities accompany each other, people will be the direct beneficiaries" - Mr. Quang said.
In May 2026, Lam Binh commune officially announced the Project "Digital content creation village associated with tourism development in Lam Binh commune, Tuyen Quang province, period 2026 - 2030". The project is implemented in association with Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo on the development of science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation.
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Tung - Director of Alibaba Media Company - said that after surveying and implementing communication activities in the Hoa Binh lake area (in Phu Tho province), he realized that indigenous culture is a special resource for building digital content.
The company has developed the TikTok channel Helo Hoa Binh with more than 93,000 followers, posting videos introducing beautiful scenery, cuisine, culture and local tourism experiences. Many of these videos have reached millions of views, contributing to bringing the image of Hoa Binh Lake closer to tourists.
According to Mr. Tung, in the context of strong digital media development, social networks are becoming an effective promotion channel, helping local cultural values have the opportunity to reach a wider public.
Currently, Alibaba Media Company has 10 employees, all young workers in the locality, with an average income of 9 - 12 million VND/person/month. For Mr. Tung, developing tourism communication is not only a story of promoting destinations but also creating more jobs, helping young people have more choices to stick with and develop right in their hometown.
Mr. Tung added that through practical activities, businesses want to have more programs to coordinate with the Fatherland Front and local authorities to discover and train young people with creative content talents.
The Fatherland Front at all levels stands out to connect and gather young people and people to participate in training courses, businesses are ready to accompany, guide practical skills, create job opportunities and jointly develop local media and tourism products" - Mr. Tung shared.
When associated with technology, culture is not only spread but also becomes a development resource, opening up new livelihood opportunities for people in the digital age.
Doctor of Folk Culture Ban Quynh Giao:
Right from the beginning of the 2026-2031 term, the task of preserving and promoting national culture has been included in the action program, towards grassroots levels and putting people at the center.
Culture always has exchange and adaptation and is a special type of "goods", requiring regulation from the State to harmonize between preservation and promotion.
In this process, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations play a bridging role, grasping the thoughts and aspirations of the people, reflecting reality to contribute to building appropriate policies.
Mr. Kieu Cong Thuoc - Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Vietnam Fund for Investment & Development of Creative Startups (VNFUND), Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Association for the Development of the Culture Industry (VCIDA):
Vietnam has many land areas rich in cultural potential, but many places have not yet turned those advantages into investment attraction.
To make culture an economic driving force, it is necessary to build a destination ecosystem with a long-term vision. The government plays a constructive role, linking tourism development with overall planning, destination brands, green tourism, indigenous economy, culture, cuisine and landscape.
The most important thing is to train local people to become subjects, and at the same time increase links between management agencies, businesses, business households, communities and tourists.
