Identifying culture as the spiritual foundation of society and the soft power of the nation, the province focuses on building and developing a culture rich in national identity, becoming an important driving force and a solid foundation for local development.

As a mountainous border province, Điện Biên holds an important position in national defense and security and is a repository of the unique and diverse cultural values of many fraternal ethnic groups living together. Each ethnic group represents a vibrant color of culture expressed through various forms of heritage: expressions and traditions, language, writing, folk literature; folk performing arts; traditional festivals; social customs and beliefs; folk knowledge; and traditional handicrafts. Inventory results show that the ethnic groups in the province currently hold and practice 463 cultural heritages of various types. Notably, the Hmong ethnic group holds and practices 50 cultural heritages such as the Nào Pê Chầu festival of the Black Hmong; the technique of batik printing on fabric; weaving and embroidering traditional costumes; blacksmithing; and the art of the Khen instrument.

Over the past years, Điện Biên’s culture has developed strongly, not only contributing to the preservation and promotion of traditional values but also creating a foundation for sustainable tourism and socio-economic development. Correct cultural policies and the dedicated efforts of government levels, communities, and social organizations have helped Điện Biên build an image of a mountainous province rich in cultural identity and tourism potential.

Cultural events such as the annually held Ban Flower Festival, the periodically organized provincial Ethnic Culture Day, and the Culture and Tourism Week held in provinces and cities across the country have showcased the diversity and richness of the cultures of Điện Biên’s ethnic groups, attracting thousands of tourists. Many traditional cultural products and festival events have been widely communicated and promoted. Folk performing arts activities (xòe dance, folk singing, traditional musical instrument performances) organized at provincial festivals and cultural events help preserve and spread the beauty of ethnic culture in community life.

In the context of the country entering a period of strong development with intertwined opportunities and challenges, promoting cultural and human values has become an important driving force and a solid foundation for the sustainable development of each locality. Điện Biên determines that cultural development needs to go hand in hand with preservation and promotion, tradition and modernity, unique identity and global integration. Building and developing culture and people must truly become the foundation, internal resource, and driving force for rapid and sustainable development.

Preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of ethnic groups must be linked with sustainable tourism development. This includes digitizing intangible cultural heritage and linking cultural preservation with the development of eco-tourism, community-based tourism, and historical tourism, turning culture into distinctive tourism products. Traditional cultural education should be integrated into school curricula and extracurricular activities, building a modern Điện Biên value system: patriotic, united, creative, integrated, and preserving identity.

To achieve that goal, one of the important solutions the province is focusing on is continuing to implement projects on preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values of ethnic groups, linking the task of cultural development with building the Điện Biên people to meet the province’s development requirements. On the other hand, communication about the role and position of cultural development needs to be strengthened, integrating culture into the province’s overall development strategy. The application of information technology, especially digital transformation in preserving and promoting cultural heritage, needs to be promoted. Priority should be given to developing cultural tourism in community tourism villages, strengthening the promotion of Điện Biên’s cultural image to domestic and international friends through digital platforms, and actively engaging in cultural exchange, cooperation, and international integration, absorbing the cultural essence of other ethnic groups while overcoming the negative impacts and downsides of cultural globalization.