In the post-globalisation context, the state plays an increasingly prominent role in shaping social realities not only through economic and political strategies but also via cultural policy. This article examines cultural policy as a sociological institution capable of organizing everyday life, behavioural norms, and collective value systems amid conditions of rapid change and uncertainty. It focuses on Vietnam’s nationwide program “All People Unite to Build Cultural Life” (APU2BCL), launched in 2000 to enhance community-level cultural life during processes of industrialisation, urbanisation, and globalisation. Drawing on policy documents, implementation reports, ethnographic observations, and interviews, the analysis demonstrates that the program extends beyond grassroots cultural or sports promotion. It has evolved into a mechanism of social regulation, establishing normative frameworks through criteria such as “cultural family” “cultural residential area” and “cultural organisation”. These categories simultaneously draw on traditional moral values and align with modern governance objectives including safety, order, cohesion, and stability. The article situates this case within broader debates on sustainable development, highlighting how institutionalizing cultural practices contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to inclusive communities, cultural participation, and social well-being. Ultimately, the study argues that culture should be understood not merely as heritage or symbolic expression, but as a political and social language through which new forms of collective practice are produced. Vietnam’s experience illustrates how cultural policy operates as a tool of social production, expanding state capacity for soft control and sustaining resilience in increasingly unpredictable environments.