Abstract

Secular spirituality and spiritual culture are not only emerging concepts being explored and studied in academic research on culture and religion but also constituting a form of soft power within Vietnam’s cultural tourism industry today. The Óc Eo - Ba Thê cultural heritage site and the cultural space of Thoại Sơn district are regarded as one of the “gold mines” of the cultural industry due to their rich and diverse cultural resources. Among these, spiritual culture serves as a focal point of this study.

By analyzing and interpreting concepts and terminologies related to spirituality, secular spirituality, spiritual culture, and spiritual cultural resources, this paper aims to elucidate the values and cultural resources of the Óc Eo - Ba Thê heritage site and the cultural space of Thoại Sơn district, An Giang. The study describes natural landscapes, heritage sites, antiquities, inscriptions, monuments, temples, and pagodas, alongside intangible cultural elements such as myths, legends, cultural figures, and religious traditions. Through this analysis, it identifies distinctive spiritual cultural resources of the region. These resources serve as soft power assets that not only contribute economic benefits to cultural tourism but also play a crucial role in environmental conservation, biodiversity preservation, and sustainable development.

This study employs the cultural value theory and acculturation theory, utilizing primarily qualitative research methods to provide an initial exploration of spiritual cultural resources within the context of geography, ecological environment, natural landscapes, as well as tangible heritage, religious beliefs, antiquities, and archaeological sites recognized as national treasures. The primary subject and scope of this research focus on the cultural resources of the Óc Eo - Ba Thê heritage site and the cultural space of Thoại Sơn district, with the research site being Thoại Sơn district itself.