Hanoi to include local heritage sites in schools’ curriculum

Hanoi capital city will include the two local heritage sites – the Thang Long imperial citadel and the Co Loa citadel relic – in the curriculum of local schools.

School children play folk games at a programme held at the Thang Long imperial citadel
School children play folk games at a programme held at the Thang Long imperial citadel

An agreement to this effect was signed between the city’s Education and Training Department and the Thang Long-Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre on September 19.

Director of the Hanoi Education and Training Department, Chu Xuan Dung, said the move is aimed at nurturing children’s interest in history in general and local history in particular, and encouraging them to discover the heritage of the city in which they live.

Under the agreement, Hanoi schools will coordinate with the preservation board to organise tours of the Thang Long imperial citadel during the school year as an extra curriculum activity.

The Thang Long-Hanoi heritage conservation centre has designed various learning programmes to suit different age groups and school levels. Besides thematic tours and exchanges with historians, the programmes arrange for students to try their hands at making traditional handicrafts, such as making paper fans, decorating pottery, and printing folk paintings.

Tours of the Co Loa citadel relics also include folk games such as crossbow shooting, a game associated with the legend of the citadel, and tug of war.

Director of the centre, Tran Viet Anh, said the sides will make an assessment of the teaching every year based on feedback from teachers and students.