Learning from the most rudimentary things
By the end of the 2025-2026 academic year, Phu Tho Primary School in Phu Tho Ward reportedly gifted over 900 book titles centered on late President Ho Chi Minh to its entire student body. For Principal Nguyen Thi Kim Huong, this initiative doesn’t merely encourage reading habits. “Presenting these books serves to sow the early seeds of morality and patriotism right from the primary level,” she explained.
Through these turning pages, anecdotes about Uncle Ho have quietly seeped into students’ souls, effectively helping them grasp his quintessential traits of diligence and profound simplicity. For Tran Thien Kim, a fifth-grader, the impact was deeply personal. “I’ve realized that performing a good deed can undoubtedly bring immense joy to people,” she shared.
While Phu Tho Primary School opted for books, Nguyen Tat Thanh High School in Binh Phu Ward boldly brought students straight to the theatrical stage. During a poignant May art program, they introduced a rather startling twist by assigning the monumental task of portraying late President Ho Chi Minh to Pham Thien Phu, a 10th grader. Under the spotlight, Thien Phu passionately recreated Uncle Ho’s youth, seamlessly transitioning from his childhood to the climactic moment he embarked on his quest for national salvation.
When a young individual physically embodies a historical figure, the vast chasm between past and present is drastically narrowed. It wasn’t exclusively Thien Phu who felt the performance’s weight; the audience was also palpably touched by that raw emotion. Once the heart has achieved genuine empathy, lessons regarding civic duty organically cease to be mere textbook jargon.
Beyond immediate school premises, that educational trajectory is vastly extended through field trips. Last July, Ernst Thälmann High School students undertook an emotional journey to the Central Office for South Vietnam Base in Tay Ninh Province. By offering incense to commemorate fallen heroes, students found that every artifact vividly brought historical resistance to life, significantly helping them forge a deeper comprehension of revolutionary traditions.
According to Principal Le Thi Thu Hang of Tran Khanh Du Primary School, modern educators face a steep uphill battle against highly visual entertainment. If history isn’t delivered captivatingly, seizing attention remains incredibly arduous. Consequently, her school frequently orchestrates specialized thematic sessions where students interact with artists and physically pluck traditional zithers.
A multitude of HCMC schools have also flexibly organized diverse activities, from veteran storytelling to recreating folk games, allowing indelible patriotic impressions to quietly permeate students’ consciousness.
When patriotism merges with youthful pulse of life
If the schoolyard serves as fertile ground, sprawling city stages operate as the ultimate platform where profound patriotism exponentially radiates to millions of youths. The grand political art program “Fatherland in Our Hearts,” co-organized by Nhan Dan Newspaper and the HCMC People’s Committee, stands as a vivid testament. The registration portal reportedly crashed under 5.7 million hits, with tickets vanishing in under two minutes.
As stated by Nguyen Ngoc Hoai Tran, a Saigon University sophomore, the frantic hunt was exhilarating. “We don’t just go for the music; masterfully interwoven historical narratives genuinely compel us to feel immense gratitude toward our homeland,” she recounted.
Prior to this, publicized national concerts successfully delivered the homeland’s historical saga via highly professional performances. Amidst the roaring sea of humanity, creatively designed national flag lightsticks transcended their role as mere cheering props. They transformed into a potent medium for the youth to vibrantly express national pride.
That immense rippling effect seamlessly extended into cinema. The blockbuster film “Red Rain” reportedly morphed into a bona fide box office phenomenon, aggressively shattering revenue records. Its magnetic allure stems directly from evoking the Fatherland’s sacred value, utilizing a cinematic language that deeply resonates with today’s youth.
Driven by that very love, highly creative projects are gradually taking shape. In March 2025, the “City’s Codes” project officially debuted as an interactive cultural experience heavily fused with puzzle-solving mechanics. Participants actively engage in immersive role-playing, meticulously tracing intricate codes to unearth the unique historical facets of a metropolis boasting over 300 years of heritage.
The mastermind behind this ambitious project, Nguyen Truong Sang, boldly said “no” to artificial intelligence throughout its production. His rationale is crystal clear. “Raw emotion is precisely the core element that breathes vibrant life into content,” he asserted. “Only human beings can genuinely comprehend and adequately convey profoundly deep emotions like fierce national pride.”
From humble classrooms to spectacular political music nights, from solemn journeys to energetic cultural puzzle projects, a distinct pattern emerges. It’s blatantly clear that patriotism is currently being inherited and powerfully advanced by HCMC’s youth, utilizing the bespoke language of their own generation.
When this profound love is meticulously nurtured, it ceases to be an abstract concept. Instead, it forcefully transforms into a perennial source ceaselessly flowing through the hearts of these young citizens.
Deputy Head Dinh Thi Thanh Thuy of the HCMC Party Committee’s Information and Education Commission shared that art forms don’t merely serve entertainment functions. They possess profound significance for cultivating deep cognitive awareness among younger generations.
Integrating cultural activities into formal school frameworks has successfully established a new learning environment. This radically transforms standard classes from dry textbook knowledge, seamlessly connecting modern education with traditional history.
Once raw emotions are successfully touched and innate curiosity is masterfully guided in the right direction, students will autonomously recognize universally good life values. By taking firm ownership of their own learning process, they will inevitably evolve into highly useful young citizens who genuinely know how to positively contribute to the broader community.
