Bookcase in Vientiane: Nurturing love for Vietnamese culture in Laos

The abbot of Phat Tich Pagoda in Vientiane introduces the bookshelf. (Photo: Xuan Tu/VNA)

In the grounds of Phat Tich Pagoda in the capital Vientiane, there is a special space loved by many Vietnamese people living far away from home and Lao friends: the Vietnamese bookshelf.

Not only is this a place to store more than 500 books, this bookshelf has become a familiar destination for students of the free Vietnamese language class at the pagoda, and at the same time a "bridge" to nurture the love of Vietnamese language, culture and knowledge in Laos.

Nearly a decade ago, when the free Vietnamese language class at Phat Tich Pagoda began to be maintained regularly, many students expressed their desire for more reference materials outside of class hours.

Stemming from that need, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen, a Vietnamese expatriate living in Laos, came up with the idea of building a "Vietnamese Bookshelf."

Ms. Thu Huyen said that at first the bookshelf only had less than 100 books, mainly brought by people in the community.

Currently, there are more than 500 rich books, from language, culture, history, geography to medicine and science. In particular, many valuable books were donated by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, helping to make the source of documents more diverse and practical for students.

In many classes, teachers proactively take out books for students to read. After class, some students still stay to borrow books, to learn more about the lesson, or simply to expand their vocabulary and knowledge.

Ms. Thatdao Santhavai, a Laotian student, has been studying Vietnamese at Phat Tich Pagoda for about two years. Working in the medical field, she often looks for specialized books in Vietnamese.

Reading medical books not only helps her learn more Vietnamese vocabulary, but also adds professional knowledge, which is very useful for daily work.

Ms. Thatdao Santhavai considers the bookshelf here a treasure trove of useful knowledge for Lao students. (Photo: Do Ba Thanh/VNA)

For Hatsady Phetvongdeuan, a Laotian student who has been studying Vietnamese for more than a year, the bookshelf is a treasure trove of useful knowledge. She often reads books from the temple's bookshelf to improve her Vietnamese language skills.

Ms. Hatsady thanks the teachers for their dedication in teaching and helping students learn to read, write and communicate with Vietnamese people.

Not only built by dedicated individuals, the Vietnamese bookshelf at Phat Tich Pagoda also receives support from the community and special attention from within the country.

During a recent working trip to Laos, a delegation of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese led by Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien, Chairman of the Committee, visited Phat Tich Pagoda and worked with the Coordinating Board for Vietnamese Buddhist Cooperation in Laos. On this occasion, the delegation also visited the Vietnamese Bookshelf at the pagoda.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien shared that reading books and promoting the Vietnamese language are important factors to maintain Vietnamese culture in the overseas Vietnamese community. Phat Tich Pagoda is a typical example.

Since 2016, with the support of the temple and the efforts of the community, this place has maintained free Vietnamese classes and Vietnamese bookcases. The two activities are closely linked, creating a movement of learning Vietnamese and reading books that is increasingly spreading widely.

The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese has also donated books to the classroom many times, and said that in the near future it will give more bookcases to people in Champasak, in order to expand the movement of reading books and learning Vietnamese in Laos.

The Vietnamese class at Phat Tich Pagoda has a special feature. All the teachers are volunteers - Vietnamese people living and working in Laos.

They not only impart language, but also instill in students a love for Vietnamese culture. The valuable thing is that the class is not only for overseas Vietnamese.

Many Lao people, including officials holding important positions in the government, also participated to improve their Vietnamese language skills for work and cultural exchange. Thanks to that, the class became a bridge of friendship between Vietnam and Laos, connecting people of the two countries through language and knowledge.

Not stopping at the current scale, Ms. Thu Huyen and her colleagues also cherished a plan to develop the bookshelf in the direction of digitalization. She wants to collect and put books on social networks and information pages so that overseas Vietnamese, as well as Lao people who love Vietnamese, can easily look up and read books online.

Besides, they can still come directly to the classroom to experience the rich reading space at the temple.

If implemented, the digital bookshelf will further expand its reach, bringing Vietnamese knowledge closer to the overseas Vietnamese community in many localities of Laos, even those who do not have the conditions to directly come to Vientiane.

A Vietnamese language class at Phat Tich Pagoda in Vientiane. (Photo: Do Ba Thanh/VNA)

Not only a place to provide books, the Vietnamese bookshelf at Phat Tich Pagoda also has profound cultural significance, demonstrating the beauty of "good life, good religion" when the pagoda not only takes care of spiritual life, but also accompanies the community in studying and improving knowledge.

As Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien emphasized, the bookshelf is not only about books, but also about reading culture and the spirit of lifelong learning. This is a vivid demonstration of the preservation and development of Vietnamese identity in the Vietnamese community abroad.

When entering a Vietnamese class at Phat Tich Pagoda, it is easy to see students attentively reading books after class, or lively discussions revolving around a story in a book.

For them, books are no longer strange but become companions on the path of learning and discovering Vietnamese culture. From the pages of books, love for the Vietnamese language is nurtured.

From the lessons, the Vietnam-Laos friendship is nurtured. And from the simple space of the temple, a meaningful cultural- educational movement is spreading strongly in the community.

The Vietnamese bookcase at Phat Tich Pagoda in Vientiane Capital is therefore not simply a bookcase, but a symbol of preserving and spreading Vietnamese culture in Laos, a beautiful testament to the spirit of "as long as the language remains, the nation remains" and also a bridge connecting the two brotherly peoples of Vietnam and Laos through knowledge and humanity./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/tu-sach-o-vientiane-nuoi-duong-tinh-yeu-van-hoa-viet-nam-tren-dat-lao-post1068093.vnp