"Learning from the past to understand the present" in the way young people do.

In the age of digital technology and the development of artificial intelligence, from the perspective of young people, history has become more accessible, relatable, and imbued with a youthful and creative spirit.

When history also has its "trends"

When it comes to history, many people think of lengthy written records filled with somewhat difficult-to-understand and "dry" terminology. However, through the perspective of young people, Vietnamese history is becoming more accessible, easier to understand, and even loved and sought after by them.

Recently, the trend of collecting blind bags and blind boxes has attracted particular attention among young people. And instead of searching for and collecting "little babies" with sparkling eyes and who were once involved in the "drama" surrounding the nine-dash line, a segment of young people are gradually shifting to collecting purely Vietnamese blind boxes: MO - Famous People.

The MO Blind Box Collection - Famous Figures features 9 historical personalities and is quite popular among young people (Source: Paladi Studio)

These are famous figures and historical characters, depicted in adorable traditional costumes and with very distinctive features. Each character comes with a small card introducing the individual and the typical inspirations chosen for their design.

MO - Famous People is a project by a GenZ couple in Hanoi : Pham Trung Dung and Nguyen Thy Phuong, and the character MO is modeled after their young son. MO is portrayed as a GenZ child who loves history and enjoys dressing up as historical figures.

Therefore, the characters are not accurately recreated portraits but are rendered in chibi style, yet still easily recognizable at first glance. From its initial release, MO - Famous People has garnered attention from young people because the project "hits the mark" with their current interest in collecting toys and exploring blind boxes.

Having recently learned about MO – a well-known figure in recent times – Huynh Uyen Nhi (residing in Tam Vu commune, Tay Ninh province) said that she will save money to collect MO instead of blind boxes of foreign origin.

Nhi shared: “Previously, I had bought statues of some of my favorite cartoon characters, but since learning about MO - Famous People, I feel especially fond of them. There are some characters that you can recognize just by looking at their costumes and backgrounds, for example, Mac Dinh Chi and Yet Kieu. But there are also characters whose designs surprise me, like Tran Hung Dao. Without the explanations, I wouldn't know the story of how he once disguised himself as a monk to welcome an envoy.”

The MO-style portrayal of Tran Quoc Tuan reveals a little-known story: Hung Dao Vuong once disguised himself as a Buddhist monk to receive a Chinese envoy.

The creation of projects that bring history closer to young people seems to be nothing new. Not only appearing in the form of adorable collectible models, history has also "moved" into the world of comics on social media platforms with short videos and many other creative forms, opening up new and more accessible approaches.

Sử Tếu's social media channels have tens of thousands of followers. Each post receives numerous comments and reactions. Recently, Sử Tếu published a book, which has also garnered attention from young readers. Historical figures and famous battles are retold in a comic book style, with a youthful and humorous approach, making it easy for young readers to understand and remember.

Sử Tếu provides historical information in the language of Gen Z, making it easily accessible to young people.

While not formal historical accounts with highly academic records, projects like MO - Famous People or Humorous History are born from a love for the history of their homeland. Each creative work is based on details recorded in historical books. With a fresh and youthful approach, these projects act as a gateway, bringing young people closer to their love of history.

As history draws closer

With the support of technology, young people are proactively spreading their love of history in their own ways. Many Gen Z individuals have successfully built information channels about history in innovative and accessible formats, making history increasingly vibrant in the digital space.

Phan Thi Loan (born in 2004, residing in Long An ward) shared that she started following the History School TikTok channel when she was a high school student. It's a place where historical knowledge and information about the patriotism, resilience, and indomitable spirit of our ancestors in their fight against foreign invaders are presented in short videos, using relatable language and storytelling.

The videos are usually no longer than a minute but consistently garner hundreds of thousands of views. Speaking about the History School TikTok channel she follows, Loan shared: “I learned that the creator of the channel is also from Generation Z, only a few years older than me. He started the channel when he was a student. Each video doesn't contain much information, but every time I watch it, I admire the talent and bravery of the older generation.”

Besides the History School, Loan also follows several channels that provide historical information in a novel and highly interactive format, such as Xin Chào Việt Nam (Hello Vietnam) and Viên Hồng Quang (a TikTok channel specializing in restoring historical videos, especially videos about President Ho Chi Minh, into color videos). The application of technology to "bring history into life" is being enthusiastically embraced by young people themselves.

“Thanks to the development of technology, much content is conveyed more vividly and effectively. Besides reading books, I also watch historical videos made in graphic form that are released on YouTube. The videos have vivid sound and images, and the language is easy to understand, so they are quite appealing to me,” said Nguyen Ngoc Anh Duong (resident of Tan Thanh commune).

As a national top student in History, Nguyen Ngoc Anh Duong also views history videos as a source of additional information.

As a national-level top student in History, Anh Duong has dedicated a lot of time to studying and learning about Vietnamese and world history. "Besides reading books, the vividly produced videos with their rich information are also a great source of supplementary information for me," Anh Duong shared.

Through the creativity of young people, history is no longer confined to the pages of books but is now present in collectible models, witty comic strips, short videos on social media, and vivid graphic films. With technology and a spirit of innovation, today's youth are "learning from the past to understand the present" in their own unique way: both embracing the traditions of their ancestors and renewing history to spread love for their homeland and country.

With technology and a spirit of innovation, today's young people are "learning from the past to understand the present" in their own unique way: both embracing the traditions of their ancestors and renewing history to spread love for their homeland and country.

Guilin

Source: https://baotayninh.vn/on-co-tri-tan-theo-cach-cua-nguoi-tre-147838.html