LookAtVietnam – In contrast to a school history lesson, a group of youths in Hue city City now offer an interesting way of studying the subject.

Fun learning: Members of Truong An Tourist Club making a presentation before going on a history trip.

The club has organised various trips to national and provincial historic spots in the region, including Nam Giao Altar; the tombs of the first and second patrons of goldsmithing Cao Dinh Do and Cao Dinh Huong; the cemetery of Phan Boi Chau (1867-1940), a national revolutionary and great patriot of Viet Nam in the early 20th century during the fight against the French, and such pagodas as Tu Dam, Linh Quang and Van Phuoc, among others.

On these trips, club members, who all volunteer to join the club without pay, make presentations on the local relics’ origin and meaning before cheering students up with team games.

“The biggest objective we aim for is to advertise and introduce the historic meaning of relics, then encourage students to carry out practical activities to protect them,” said the club’s leader, Ta Duong Anh Tuan.

Sundays have become a favourite time for local students when they are provided a chance to become more knowledgeable about relics that they are familiar with, but do not have a clear understanding of.

Sam, a ninth-grader from the Hung Vuong Secondary School was completely surprised when being told that the two patrons of goldsmithing, Cao Dinh Do and Cao Dinh Huong, were in fact father and daughter, not spouses as he’d originally thought .

“I often play football in this place but did not know it’s meaningful origin. I am really fond of this kind of teaching,” said Sam.

Students’ awareness of the need to protect the environment also increases after each trip so this creative and vivid method of teaching receives much support from educators and authorities, said teacher Pham Le Ai Ngoc of the Hung Vuong school.

“This is the only club in Truong An Ward and its effectiveness has been highly appreciated. We are going to widen this kind of teaching method in the future. However, the club now consists of only eight members and it does not have the budget to finance operations so I really hope that more attention from authorities will be paid to develop it,” says Nguyen Ngoc Tho, vice chairman of the ward’s People’s Committee.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News