Recognizing culture as an internal strength, a driving force, and a foundation for development, Điện Biên has been implementing strategic and in-depth measures to transform heritage into assets, making culture a solid pillar for socio-economic progress.

The province is home to 19 ethnic groups, each with its own distinct language, cultural practices, and traditions. From rituals, festivals, folk games, traditional crafts, cuisine, attire, and folk songs to indigenous knowledge, all these elements together form a unique cultural treasure. These spiritual values are the crystallization of inheritance, creativity, and exchange among communities, while deeply reflecting the life, emotions, and aspirations of Điện Biên’s people across generations. This diversity has woven a vivid cultural tapestry, granting the province a monumental system of heritage and making it an attractive destination for domestic and international visitors.

To date, Điện Biên has 22 intangible cultural heritages recognized at the national level, among which the Thái “xòe” dance and the “then” practice of the Tày, Nùng, and Thái peoples have been inscribed by UNESCO as representatives of humanity’s intangible cultural heritage. The province currently has 41 artisans honored with the title “Meritorious Artisan” by the State President for their contributions to intangible cultural heritage. These are invaluable resources and a solid basis for the province to develop experiential tourism products tied to local cultural practices, while encouraging creativity in promoting cultural values in conjunction with tourism development.

Considering cultural heritage as priceless, Điện Biên has placed strong emphasis on its management, protection, and promotion. A series of programs and plans have been adopted, such as the provincial Party Committee’s Resolution No.11-NQ/TU (July 29, 2021) and the Master Plan on Preserving and Developing the Culture of Điện Biên’s Ethnic Groups in connection with socio-economic development for the period 2021-2025 with orientation toward 2030. Building upon this framework, the province has focused on raising public awareness about safeguarding cultural identity while eliminating outdated customs, promoting native languages, scripts, and fine traditions.

Surveys have been completed for 18 of the 19 ethnic groups, with 463 intangible cultural heritages documented and published in the official inventory. Many of these have become signature tourism products attracting large numbers of visitors, such as the Hoa Ban Festival, the Thành Bản Phủ Festival, the Đuôi Én Boat Racing Festival, the Lao Water Splashing Festival, and the Cống people’s Rooster Comb Flower Festival. These events not only showcase the beauty of Điện Biên’s nature, culture, and people but also contribute to building the province’s image as a land rich in identity, civilized, and progressive. Traditional craft villages have been revitalized, scientific research on heritage preservation has been strengthened, enriching cultural identity while creating livelihoods and increasing income for local communities.

The policy of “transforming heritage into assets” has been concretized through the integration of preservation with tourism development. Successful community-based tourism models have been introduced in Nà Sự village (Mường Chà commune), Che Căn village (Mường Phăng commune), and Mển village (Thanh Nưa commune), underscoring the role of culture in advancing green and experiential tourism. Điện Biên continues to host the annual Hoa Ban Festival and organizes the provincial Ethnic Culture, Sports and Tourism Festival biennially, along with numerous contests, performances, and traditional sporting events. By hosting national and regional ethnic sports competitions, the province has fostered exchanges, enhanced mutual understanding, and strengthened solidarity among ethnic groups, while reviving and promoting fine cultural values in everyday life.

The highlight of recent years was the province’s hosting of the National Tourism Year 2024 under the theme “Glorious Điện Biên Phủ - Endless Experience,” which left a deep impression on visitors and significantly boosted Điện Biên’s tourism profile. That year, the province welcomed more than 1.85 million visitors, 1.85 times higher than in 2023, with total revenue exceeding VND 3,321 billion, nearly doubling. In the first half of 2025 alone, Điện Biên received 824,900 visitors, achieving 56.9% of its annual target. These promising figures underscore the growing role of cultural heritage tourism in the province’s socio-economic development strategy.

Cultural heritage and tourism are inherently interconnected. Heritage serves as the core resource for tourism development, while tourism is the most effective path for preserving and promoting heritage values. For cultural heritage to truly “live” within communities, attract tourists, and generate sustainable value, cultural heritage tourism must be identified as a central direction and the key to realizing the goal of making tourism a spearhead economic sector. This requires integrating preservation into overall development planning, focusing resources on restoring representative tangible and intangible heritages while maintaining their authenticity and spiritual essence, and formulating a selective cultural tourism development strategy based on Điện Biên’s distinctive strengths that aligns with market demands without distorting core values for short-term commercial gains.

It is also vital to empower local communities as the true custodians of their heritage, ensuring they directly benefit economically from cultural tourism so that every resident becomes a “cultural ambassador.” Developing specialized, in-depth tourism products that connect heritage, historical sites, craft villages, and festivals, along with fostering sustainable and responsible community tourism, will provide visitors with authentic and unique experiences. The application of digital technology in preservation and promotion must be intensified, including the digitization of heritage data, automated interpretation systems, and the development of smart tourism, while leveraging social media and online platforms to amplify Điện Biên’s cultural image worldwide. At the same time, greater efforts are needed to mobilize collective strength, encourage private investment in sustainable cultural tourism, enhance regional and intersectoral linkages to create integrated tourism routes, and enforce strict measures against acts that harm heritage, alongside educational campaigns to raise awareness among businesses, citizens, and visitors.

In the context of deep international integration, the cultures of Điện Biên’s ethnic groups constitute the province’s identity and serve as “soft power” to elevate its standing. Preserving and promoting these cultural values means safeguarding the very soul of Điện Biên while creating strong endogenous momentum for socio-economic development. This is a strategic and long-term mission that demands the concerted effort of the entire political system and all citizens, with the ultimate goal of making Điện Biên a national center of historical and cultural tourism by 2030.

Vừ A Bằng

Vice Chairman of the Điện Biên provincial People’s Committee