In recent years, the reading movement in Dong Nai has been actively revitalized through a variety of creative and practical activities, extending from schools and libraries to public spaces.
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| Readers access online books on their smartphones at Dong Nai Library. (Photo: My Ny) |
Excitement at the Reading Culture Ambassador Contest 2025
In 2025, the Reading Culture Ambassador Contest once again stood out as a highlight, attracting thousands of primary, lower-secondary, and upper-secondary students from across the province. More than just a platform for students to express their passion for reading, the contest also fostered creativity through video clips, reflective essays, storytelling, and proposals for initiatives to promote reading habits. Many submissions left a lasting impression, showcasing the maturity in young people’s thinking and emotions as they engaged with real-life issues.
Among this year’s standout contestants was Mai Nha Phuong, a fourth-grade student at Nguyen Du Primary School in Tran Bien Ward. She made an impression by not only winning the highest honor, the title of Outstanding Reading Culture Ambassador, but also by successfully retaining the title for a second consecutive year.
Her submission, presented in video format, was based on Bup Sen Xanh (The Green Lotus Bud) by writer Son Tung. The book portrays the childhood, self-discipline, and noble ideals of President Ho Chi Minh. Combining her presentation skills with thoughtful reflections on the work, Nha Phuong created an impressive entry that once again inspired strong reading enthusiasm.
Nha Phuong shared: “Through the book Green Lotus Bud, I learned valuable lessons about willpower, determination, and Uncle Ho’s boundless love. That has inspired me, and others my age, to live kindly, study hard, and strive to improve ourselves. I’m very happy to have won the top prize in this year’s contest. It’s not only a recognition of my passion for reading, but also a motivation for me to continue promoting the reading culture to even more people.”
Although he did not win a top prize, for Le Khanh Phong, a sixth-grade student at Le Quy Don Secondary School (Tri An Commune), this year’s contest was a memorable experience.
Phong shared: “Participating in the contest helped me better understand the value of reading for learning and personal growth. Even though I only received a consolation prize, I was very happy to share my favorite book and my feelings. The contest also gave me the chance to learn a lot from other participants. I hope there will be more opportunities like this where students can freely create, share, and spread their love for books.”
A Chau Bilingual Primary-Secondary-High School (Tran Bien ward) was among the units with the largest number of contestants, with 14 entries winning high prizes. This figure reflected the students’ dedication, research efforts, passion for reading, and creativity.
According to Mai Thu Phuong, a literature teacher at A Chau Bilingual Primary Secondary-High School, the school had introduced the contest to all grade levels as early as April 2025. Teachers guided and encouraged students to participate based on their talents, such as presentation, technological skills, or graphic design, allowing them to choose books and share their reflections. Many students demonstrated an enthusiasm and creativity that exceeded expectations.
The 2025 contest concluded with 39 prizes awarded to outstanding contestants. Six submissions were selected for the national final round organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Tran Anh Tho, Deputy Director of Dong Nai Library, highly appreciated this year's entries, noting that the students understood the meaning of the contest and showed a deep concern for reading culture. “Many submissions were carefully prepared, both in content and presentation. The chosen characters and works carried inspiring messages, raising awareness and directing young people towards positive lifestyles, social responsibility, and aspirations to contribute to building a prosperous and happy nation,” she said.
“Many students created impressive contest entries, including bilingual (Vietnamese and English) submissions accompanied by video clips. Their plans and initiatives were designed in line with their age, aiming to promote reading culture among students, particularly those in remote areas, ethnic minority communities, and people with disabilities. Some entries even demonstrated concrete and practical actions, such as calling for book donations and raising funds to build bookshelves for distribution,” emphasised Tran Anh Tho.
Ensuring that achievements are not merely superficial
The success of the 2025 Reading Culture Ambassador Contest has served as a catalyst, propelling the reading movement in Dong Nai into a more dynamic phase.
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| The organising committee of the Reading Culture Ambassador Contest 2025 presents awards to the contestants who achieved high prizes |
“To celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day (September 2), Dong Nai Library is offering free access for people to learn about culture and history. Particularly, the library will organise an artistic book arrangement exhibition at its main branch, while also applying technology to digitise books and introduce works related to these anniversaries via its website, YouTube, and Facebook channels,” Tho said.
The reading movement in Dong Nai is being further “fuelled” through various creative and community-oriented activities. In schools, dozens of models have been introduced, such as green libraries, schoolyard bookshelves, classroom bookshelves, and the use of schoolyards or corridors to place small bookcases where students can borrow and exchange books for free. Programmes like “a page a day” or weekly reading periods have also been implemented.
Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thuy, Head of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneer Organisation at Nguyen Du Primary School, noted: “We encourage students to approach books naturally and deeply, not just at a superficial level. In addition to library hours, the school organizes storytelling, drawing, and even dramatisations of literary works, helping children develop presentation skills, imagination, and confidence.”
Various community-based reading models in Dong Nai, such as the Book Villa in Tran Bien ward, the Community Library in Ta Lai commune, the Cham language reading room in Long Thanh commune, the Green Sprout bookshelf in Bao Vinh ward, and Wisdom Houses in communes like Tri An, Tan Trieu, Tan An, and Phu, have drawn significant public interest. These models not only provide diverse reading materials but also combine reading with games, arts, sports (such as chess), cultural learning, free English classes, and exchanges with international experts, thus creating meaningful learning and leisure spaces for the community, especially ethnic minority students.
To further expand reading culture, Dong Nai Library is developing mobile library services that bring books to commune-level public service centres, enabling local people to access knowledge and nurture reading habits more easily.
Tran Anh Tho further noted that since the two-tier local government model was implemented, district-level libraries have been transferred to regional administrations and are now under the management of commune and ward public service centers. However, some localities almost have no staff in charge of library work. Therefore, in the coming time, she hopes that authorities at all levels will issue specific guidelines and allocate human resources so that localities can effectively organize activities, develop a reading culture within communities, and provide lifelong learning opportunities for residents. This undertaking, she emphasized, is a crucial foundation for building a civilized, creative, and humane society.
By My Ny - Translated by My Le-Minho
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