Heritage Education Experience For 12th-Grade Students At The Temple Of Literature

On May 21, right before their critical high school graduation exam, 12th-grade students from Vinschool Smart City Primary, Secondary, and High School took part in an incense offering ceremony and an educational experience themed “CHINA CHARACTERS” at the Temple of Literature.

The program has featured a variety of activities, such as a historical and cultural introduction to the Temple of Literature. Students participated in an incense offering ceremony to honor saints, sages, Quoc Tu Giam Chu Van An, and other national cultural figures, praying for a successful school year, good luck in their exams, and the perseverance to reach their goals.

The heritage education program enriched students’ understanding of the Sino-Nom heritage and the “Beg for letters” tradition, emphasizing the importance their ancestors placed on education. Through these hands-on activities, students explored the structure of Chinese characters, the significance of the names of ancient architectural works at the Temple of Literature, the meanings of horizontal plaques and parallel sentences, and the basics of reading and writing Chinese characters. This knowledge also enhanced their comprehension of the Vietnamese language.

Especially towards the end of the exploration, students have engaged in the printing of ancient Chinese characters from the Doctor’s stele using the woodblock printing technique. They could choose to personally print characters like “Dang Khoa,” “Do Dat,” “Chi,” “Minh,” “Thuan,” “Hieu Hoc,” and “Thanh Dat.

This educational trip has made a significant impact on the students. A 12th-grade Vinser shared: “The visit to the Temple of Literature was very meaningful. Even though I have been there many times, this experience taught me about history, culture, and Chinese characters in a more structured way. I feel very proud of our Vietnamese tradition of valuing education, and I am inspired to study and practice harder”.

Let’s join the 12th-grade students of Vinschool Smart City Primary, Secondary, and High School on their educational journey to the Temple of Literature relic!