Proposal for code of conduct to curb heavy drinking and foul language

Ho Chi Minh City should create a code of conduct that promotes good behavior while confronting habits such as excessive drinking, profanity and swearing, former People’s Council Chairwoman Pham Phuong Thao said at a cultural development seminar on Sept. 7.

Thao said the code should clearly identify what the city needs to build and what it needs to fight. She also urged Ho Chi Minh City to develop major cultural facilities that match the scale of a megacity, including venues for different forms of theater, film studios, cinemas, museums and children’s cultural centers.

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The strong and positive things should be promoted, while shortcomings such as excessive drinking, profanity and swearing should also be addressed.

She called for greater investment in cultural products and more frequent festivals. Performances linked to the city’s river culture, as well as artistic programs about the more than 300-year history of the Saigon, Gia Dinh and Ho Chi Minh City region, could help introduce the city to audiences at home and abroad, she said.

Thao also objected to changing the names of cultural facilities. “I was very sad when Phu Nhuan Cultural Center was renamed the Center for Public Service Provision. A cultural center should remain a cultural center, and a children’s cultural center should remain a children’s cultural center, even if the managing body is the Center for Public Service Provision,” she said. She urged the city’s People’s Council to set a specific budget share for culture and ensure every ward and commune has cultural facilities for residents.

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I was very sad when Phu Nhuan Cultural Center was renamed the Center for Public Service Provision. A cultural center should remain a cultural center, and a children’s cultural center should remain a children’s cultural center, even if the managing body is the Center for Public Service Provision.

Tran Thanh Vuong of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports said the sector employed about 97,000 direct workers and included 17,670 businesses in fields such as film, performing arts, advertising and digital content. Cultural industries accounted for about 5.7% of the city’s GRDP in 2025, with a target of 7% to 7.2% by 2030. The city has museums, libraries, theaters, cultural centers and 168 grassroots public-service centers, but 23 lack permanent premises and each center has only about two to four staff directly responsible for culture and sports. Their financing and autonomy also remain difficult.

Truong Thi Hien, chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Women Intellectuals, said the city’s strength ultimately depended on its people and culture rather than buildings and lights. She proposed a modern set of Ho Chi Minh City values including patriotism, compassion, honesty, responsibility, discipline and solidarity. Bui Thi Ngoc Trang, former deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Cadre Academy, said digital space had become a new cultural environment where even a post, comment or share could spread kindness, false information or verbal violence. The article ends mid-quotation as she discusses the need for a healthier online environment.

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Ultimately, what lasts the longest is not a physical structure but the cultural values preserved in each person. A civilized city is not only about beautiful roads and smart urban areas; more importantly, it is a place where people live decently, love, care and share, and put community interests above personal interests.