Bringing the Tale of Kieu 'beyond the pages of the book'

Photo caption — A lesson on Nguyen Du and The Tale of Kieu at Tien Dien Primary School, Tien Dien Commune, Ha Tinh Province.

Not only limited to standard Literature lessons, schools here have proactively, creatively, and skillfully brought Truyen Kieu deeply into school life in many rich forms: from Truyen Kieu reading competitions, dramatizations, Kieu quizzes, to integrating it into extracurricular activities.

Bringing the Tale of Kieu out of the pages of books

In Tien Dien commune - the hometown of the great poet Nguyen Du, learning and loving the Tale of Kieu has become a colorful experience. Schools strive to bring the Tale of Kieu beyond the pages of books, into extracurricular activities and creative playgrounds, creating an open and exciting learning atmosphere. The goal is not only to review knowledge, but also to instill in the souls of the young generation pride in the national cultural heritage and the quintessential beauty of the Vietnamese language, so that this literary treasure becomes a true companion on their journey of growing up.

Thanh My Secondary School, Tien Dien Commune, with 773 students, is one of the leading units in the movement to bring Truyen Kieu into school life. According to Ms. Dang Thi Le Thuy, Vice Principal of the school, from the beginning of the school year, the school has built a methodical professional plan. Truyen Kieu is read in the first 15 minutes of class activities, helping the familiar six-eight verses become part of the students' daily study routine.

In particular, grade 9 students participated in a very meaningful local education program such as a tour and listening to explanations about the life and career of the great poet Nguyen Du at the Nguyen Du Memorial Site. The activity helped students not only acquire knowledge from books but also understand more deeply the cultural and historical context that turned the great poet into a world cultural celebrity.

At Thanh My Secondary School, the dramatization of the Tale of Kieu in extracurricular hours is given special attention. The school's Literature Club has developed topics to study the work and organized dramatizations of classic excerpts. Ms. Phan Thi Thuy Diem, the teacher in charge of the Youth Union, said that the school always connects heritage with students' lives through organizing activities such as art competitions, skillfully incorporating the Tale of Kieu into dramatizations, reciting and reciting the Tale of Kieu.

Not only a teacher, Ms. Thuy Diem is also a young folk artist, directly teaching students Vi Giam folk songs, Hat Kieu, Xam Kieu... This is the most effective way to preserve cultural values and make poetic language more vivid and easier for the young generation to understand. Thanks to these activities, many students such as Xuan Dung and Khanh Huyen (class 9A) have become typical faces in preserving and spreading the Tale of Kieu.

Phan Xuan Dung, a 9A student, shared: Since 3rd grade, I have memorized hundreds of verses from the Tale of Kieu and was taught by Ms. Thuy Diem how to recite, recite, and Xam Kieu. Reading and memorizing the Tale of Kieu has instilled in me a love of literature and pride in my homeland and country.

Sowing the seeds of love for the Tale of Kieu with the young generation

The dissemination of the Tale of Kieu in Nguyen Du's hometown has been focused on by teachers since primary school. At Tien Dien Primary School, a school with the special honor of being located on the old garden of the great poet Nguyen Du, the movement of reading and memorizing the Tale of Kieu has become a tradition and characteristic of teachers and students of this school, because any teacher or student can read or recite a few verses of Kieu.

Ms. Tran Thi Ngoc Xuyen, Principal of Tien Dien Primary School, shared: Every two years, the school organizes a contest to recite the Tale of Kieu. This movement has spread strongly among all teachers and students. Many students from previous courses have even achieved the achievement of reciting 2,000 sentences in the Tale of Kieu - an amazing number for primary school age. At Tien Dien Primary School, it is easy to find a student who can recite hundreds of sentences of the Tale of Kieu.

What is special is that this movement does not stop at students. In school, teachers can memorize from hundreds to thousands of verses of the Tale of Kieu. A typical example is Ms. Tran Thi Ngoc Xuyen, Principal of Tien Dien Primary School, who memorizes all 3,254 verses of the Tale of Kieu.

Ms. Xuyen shared: Reading the Tale of Kieu not only cultivates personality and enriches Vietnamese vocabulary, but also instills in children a love for the nation's cultural heritage. Each verse is a lesson in morality and imbued with humanity.

In addition to the recitation movement, Tien Dien Primary School also organized a calligraphy contest for the Tale of Kieu, helping students practice their dexterity, carefulness and appreciation of the beauty of words. In addition, the fact that all students know how to sing and recite the Tale of Kieu has proven the school's success in turning this great heritage into a source of pride for each student.

The nurturing of love for Truyen Kieu in schools in Tien Dien has created a generation of young people who not only understand but are also passionate about Truyen Kieu. With creative methods and a deep love for heritage, schools in Nguyen Du's hometown are doing well in their mission of preserving and continuing the quintessence of national literature.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/giao-duc/dua-truyen-kieu-vuot-ra-ngoai-trang-sach-20251208172744627.htm