2024 Vietnam (Hanoi) School Exchange

On 26 May, 24 students from Manjusri Secondary School, accompanied by 4 teachers and Vice-Principal Mr Teo Soon Hock, embarked on our inaugural five-day, four-night school exchange trip to Hanoi, Vietnam.

Group photo at Nguyen Sieu School (Hanoi)

During this trip, our students experienced the beautiful geographical environment and learned about the rich history and culture of Vietnam.  During the first two days, the group visited an animal farm (Komi Farm) and Ha Long Bay. At Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site, they were amazed by the scenic beauty of the islets, limestone karst formations and cave structures shaped by nature.

Planting crops, Komi Farm	Manjusrians posing at Ha Long Bay

Our students afterwards visited Nguyen Sieu School in Hanoi, where they attended lessons and cultural activities with their Vietnamese buddies. They took part in a traditional arts and crafts workshop where they used rice dough to craft figurines according to their creativity and imagination. Manjusrians and their buddies also visited Bat Trang Pottery Village where the students explored the artifacts at the Pottery Museum and had a hands-on experience making pottery from scratch.

Cultural activities at Ngueyn Sieu School	Pottery activities at Bat Trang Village

On the final day of the exchange, we visited various heritage sites. They explored the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology and the Temple of Literature to learn about Vietnam’s ethnic groups. They also discovered traditional Vietnamese houses known as Stilt Houses, marveling at the intricate handmade details and their impressive height. In addition, our students also visited the Hoa Lo Prison Museum, where they learned about the experiences of the Vietnamese people during the Vietnam War.

Museum of Ethnology	At the Temple of Literature

This Vietnam trip had been a valuable experience and will surely be one of the significant memories of their secondary school experience for our students.