LookAtVietnam – Sex education remains an awkward subject for both parents and teachers in Viet Nam because of the conservative attitude towards things considered “sensitive”.

Tour destination: A view of the Son Tra Peninsula, 8km from Da Nang City.

The Da Nang City Youth Union wants to change this state of affairs. It is joining hands with the Viet Da Travel Company to launch a unique tour, one designed to provide youth highly explicit but intensely cultural sex education.

The tour revolves around the Cham ethnic group’s cult of lingam-yoni, which is worshipped as an emblem of the union between male and female and generative power.

The first destination on the tour will be the Cham Museum, which has thousands of precious artefacts and sculptures created during the Champa Kingdom era. Among them are many stone lingams and yonis collected from ancient Cham towers and citadels scattered around the central region.

“The lingam and yoni always go together,” a tour guide explains.

“While the lingam represents the phallus, the yoni is a representation of the vulva. The lingam is often stylised into a smooth cylindrical mass and placed in the centre of yona, a disk-shaped object. It’s this common form that created the sexual dimension.”

Sexual revelation: This 100kg Cham lingam sculpture is being preserved at the Quang Ngai Culture, Sports and Tourism Department. It is made of sandstone that was usually used to build old towers in central regions.

The lingam and the yoni are Hindu symbols associated with Lord Shiva and his consort, with the former being a phallic post serving as his representation.

Before their conquest by King Le Thanh Tong in the 15th century, the Cham culture was heavily influenced by that of India. Cham kings frequently erected stone lingams as the central religious theme in royal temples.

“The sculptures also indicate the ancient male-dominated cultures,” the guide adds.

The tour sees the ancient myth of generative power now being examined in a modern, scientific light.

“Thanks to the tour, I can understand what the round statue with 23 breasts under a lingam implies,” Pham Thu Thao, a schoolgirl from Thai Phien High School, says. The breasts symbolise women.

“It symbolises giving birth and teaches us about menstruation as well,” she adds.

“The Cham had a really creative and artistic approach to sex education,” Nham Ngoc, a 10th grader, adds.

On the tour, Son Tra Peninsula is the second pit stop. The young travellers can breath in the ocean air while admiring the Linh Ung Tu Pagoda. The tour continues at the scenic My Khe Beach, with outdoor games focused on sex education.

“The games are meant to normalise physical contact between girls and boys, helping them understand that these contacts are just part of normal communication,” Nguyen Dinh Tri, a member of the Da Nang Youth Union, says.

There is no trace of timidity as the youngsters take enthusiastically to the games.

“We gain soft skills and knowledge of sex more easily through these outdoor activities,” Minh Phuong, a college student, says.

When night falls on the beach, both travellers and educators feast on fresh seacooking served at a beach restaurant.

“The idea of starting this tour ignited when I found stories of sexual revolution among teenagers making headlines in most newspapers, and that parents have a headache over how to educate their children about sex in an appropriate manner,” Dinh Van Loc, director of Viet Da Travel, said.

Health workers and consultants cannot agree more with him. Social workers appreciate the creative idea behind merging education in sex and culture and throwing in a travel experience.

The tour manages to provide youngsters basic knowledge of sex and puberty without promoting sexual experimentation. Although the tour is just half a month old, many schools in the city are eyeing it as an interesting extracurricular activity.

“We are trying to include more health experts, consultants and event organisers to make it more informative and helpful,” Loc says.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News