Introducing nearly 160 documents and artifacts about the Popular Education Movement 80 years ago

On August 22, in Hanoi, the National Museum of History held the opening ceremony of the thematic exhibition "Popular education - lighting up the future".

This is an activity to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the successful August Revolution (August 19, 1945 - August 19, 2025) and the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (September 2, 1945 - September 2, 2025).

Delegates cut the ribbon to open the exhibition "Education for All - Lighting Up the Future"

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director of the National History Museum Nguyen Van Doan said: After gaining power, the young Democratic Republic of Vietnam had to face countless difficulties and challenges, of which the three major "enemies" were hunger, ignorance and foreign invaders, putting the fate of the nation in an extremely difficult situation.

Right in the first meeting of the Provisional Government on September 3, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh identified "an ignorant nation is a weak nation", while in our country at that time, more than 90% of the population was illiterate, so eliminating illiteracy was one of the six urgent tasks of the country.

On September 8, 1945, the Provisional Government issued Decree No. 17/SL on the establishment of the Popular Education Department - opening an unprecedented learning movement in history. Millions of people across the country, regardless of age or social class, participated in learning to read and write as a sacred act of patriotism. The Popular Education Movement became a torch of knowledge, fostering the spirit of independence and the desire for enlightenment for the entire nation.

Exhibition space

"Therefore, the exhibition "Popular Education - Lighting Up the Future" is organized to help the public, especially the young generation, understand more deeply the Popular Education movement 80 years ago and the current "Popular Education Digital" as particularly important historical moments; it is the journey of inheriting and developing Ho Chi Minh's ideology on "learning to work, to be a human, learning to serve the class and the people, the Fatherland and humanity". From there, it arouses the spirit of studiousness, the desire to learn and the persistent belief in the power of knowledge - from the first letters of the past to the flame of learning that is being continued today" - said Mr. Nguyen Van Doan.

With nearly 160 images, documents, and artifacts, the exhibition is divided into 3 parts: Eradicating illiteracy - a war without gunfire; Spreading the light of knowledge; From popular education to lifelong learning.

The exhibition introduces to the public nearly 160 images, documents and artifacts.

In addition to a number of documents demonstrating the high political determination of the Party, the State and President Ho Chi Minh in eliminating "illiteracy", considering this an essential part of the revolutionary cause and building an independent, democratic and progressive Vietnam, the exhibition also introduces images of the Popular Education movement nationwide from North to South; teaching tools, teaching materials (boards, books, pens, etc.); learning tools, learning materials (desks, chairs, lamps, pens, notebooks, etc.); gifts from the Popular Education Departments, classes and students respectfully presented to President Ho Chi Minh.

There is also a collection of medals, flags, certificates of merit awarded to organizations and individuals in the Popular Education Movement; a collection of newspapers, books, magazines, monthly magazines on Popular Education; a collection of letters from President Ho Chi Minh, leaders of the Popular Education Department... sent to the Popular Education Department, teachers and students; a collection of propaganda posters on the Popular Education Movement.

Many documents and artifacts are displayed for the first time.

In particular, in this exhibition, most of the precious and valuable documents and artifacts are introduced to the public for the first time, such as: The notebook recording the impressions of leaders and intellectuals on the work of Popular Education; Popular Education badges drawn and printed by revolutionary soldiers imprisoned in Con Dao to promote Popular Education in prison, in 1951; a group of artifacts donated by families of witnesses and creative products of Lab EDABK students of the School of Electricity and Electronics, Hanoi University of Science and Technology...

On this occasion, the National Museum of History launched the Augmented Reality (AR) experience technology application on the Visual Positioning System (VPS) platform at the permanent exhibition system and the thematic exhibition room "Popular education - Lighting up the future", bringing a modern way of visiting, making documents and artifacts more vivid and accessible, opening up a new direction in preserving and spreading heritage values ​​by digital technology.

The exhibition attracted a large audience.

The thematic exhibition "Education for the masses - lighting up the future" is open until December 2025 at the National Museum of History (25 Tong Dan, Hanoi)../.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/gioi-thieu-gan-160-tai-lieu-hien-vat-ve-phong-trao-binh-dan-hoc-vu-cach-day-80-nam-20250822151703794.htm