This is one of four centres under the Soong Ching Ling Foundation, a social and charitable organisation named after Soong Ching Ling (1893–1981), the spouse of Sun Yat-sen.
At the centre, the spouse of the Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President was introduced to the Soong Ching Ling Foundation and the China Soong Ching Ling Science and Culture Centre for Young People. She toured the Montessori space, the Excellence space, and classes on China’s traditional Peking opera, papermaking, ceramics and handicrafts. In the traditional medicine class, Ngo Phuong Ly experienced making a herbal sachet by personally selecting six types of herbs, grinding them and placing them into a small pouch.
Speaking at the event, she expressed her pleasure at visiting a centre bearing the name of Soong Ching Ling - an outstanding woman of China who devoted her entire life to the revolutionary cause, peace, international friendship and, in particular, the future of children.
She noted that this is not merely an educational and scientific centre, but also a vivid symbol of a deeply humanistic vision that places children at the centre of social development.
Expressing her impression of Soong Ching Ling’s views on child care and education, Ngo Phuong Ly said that a successful education system should not only develop individuals with professional competence, but also citizens with responsibility, compassion and a desire to contribute to society.
In Viet Nam, she shared that President Ho Chi Minh, the great leader, national hero and world cultural celebrity, once taught that children are like buds on a branch; those who know how to eat, sleep and study are good children. According to Ly, these simple yet profound teachings continue to serve as guiding principles in Viet Nam’s child care and education, emphasising that children must always be placed at the centre of development policies, with the goal of ensuring that all children are cared for, educated and able to grow in the best possible conditions.
Affirming that both Viet Nam and China attach great importance to the protection, care and education of children, she noted that Viet Nam was the first country in Asia and the second in the world to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
She expressed her hope that child care and education today must take on new responsibilities, particularly fostering creativity and problem-solving skills among children; nurturing compassion and helping them understand empathy, sharing and responsibility to the community. In addition, cultural exchange should be promoted, as in an increasingly integrated world, understanding and respecting cultural differences is key to building a peaceful and stable community.
