Some examples are cultural houses in Thinh Quang and Cat Linh wards in the centre of Hanoi or others in suburban districts like Soc Son.
A resident living near Residential Area 4 Cultural House in Thinh Quang ward, for instance, said the local cultural house was chiefly used to house administration-related meetings once in a while rather than any cultural activities.
Residential Area 418 Cultural House in Tan Minh commune, Soc Son district, is also in a similar condition that is, œlying asleep for a great part of the year. This cultural house is so œquiet that seeing reporters coming to take pictures, young men living in the area asked with excitement whether there would be any interesting activity soon.
œWill there be a musical show? When it comes, remember to announce it on the local loudspeaker since we dont have much singing here, said one of them. Asked about cultural houses, most local residents agreed that it wasnt enough to build one, but activities also needed to be organised to keep them alive.
Yet, this is precisely what many cultural houses arent. And a major reason is lack of money. Do Trong Vinh, Vice Chairman of Tan Minh ward, said, œAll is because of lack of funding. There is no money for sports and culture activities. There is no money for repair and restoration works.
Thus, local cultural houses, especially those in the suburbs, are being used simply as meeting places for local officials. According to Dong Anh District Cultural House Director Nguyen Quang Phu, for instance, there are 156 cultural houses throughout the city.
œBut most of them arent operating effectively because of a lack of attention from local authorities as well as specific guidelines about the construction and use of cultural houses, said he. Cultural houses are built by local authorities on government money to serve local cultural needs. Thus, according to many, leaving them idle is a waste of government money.
A culture official from Thanh Xuan district, for instance, said, œIn many wards and communes, cultural houses are being built in large numbers without foresight. That hundreds of local cultural houses are being built only to house monthly meetings is indeed a waste.