Outstanding Reading Culture Ambassadors

Standing out among more than 2,000 contestants in the 2026 Dong Nai City Reading Culture Ambassador Contest, three outstanding students representing the three school levels were honored and recommended for recognition by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Contestants Mai Nha Phuong, Nguyen An Thy, and Ha Ni (from left to right) are honored as the 2026 Outstanding Reading Culture Ambassadors of Dong Nai City.

With their love for books and ideas for integrating reading culture into school life, the students are becoming "nuclei" of inspiration and self-study, contributing to spreading the reading movement and building a learning society.

When books become young people’s companions

Mai Nha Phuong (Class 5/8, Nguyen Du Primary School, Tran Bien Ward) is one of the few students to have maintained the title of Outstanding Reading Culture Ambassador of Dong Nai City for many consecutive years. Books have been a constant companion for Phuong since her early primary school years, helping her win second prize in 2024 and the title of Outstanding Reading Culture Ambassador in 2024, 2025, and 2026. Notably, in 2025, she also had the honor of winning third prize in the National Reading Culture Ambassador Contest.

The 2026 Dong Nai City Reading Culture Ambassador Contest attracted more than 2,000 participants. The Organizing Committee awarded 42 prizes to individuals and groups with outstanding achievements, including three titles for Outstanding Reading Culture Ambassadors at the primary, secondary, and high school levels.

This year, Mai Nha Phuong chose to introduce the book Viet Nam vuon minh (Vietnam Ascending) by author Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, published in 2025. The book captivated her through its combination of imagery, color, and historical information suitable for students. The work is divided into three chapters corresponding to important milestones in the history of the Vietnamese people, from the struggle to win and safeguard national independence to the resistance war against the U.S. imperialists for national salvation and the journey of reunification, renewal, integration, and development.

"When choosing a newly released book, I was a little nervous. However, because I loved the work and wanted to introduce it to my friends, I was determined to proceed. The book helped me understand that for us to have a peaceful and developing country today, countless generations have made efforts, contributions, and sacrifices. Because of this, I feel even more proud of my nation and remind myself to study hard and live responsibly to contribute to building an even better country," said Nha Phuong.

2026 Dong Nai City Outstanding Reading Culture Ambassador Nguyen An Thy reviews her contest entry with her teacher.

Also choosing history as her narrative, Nguyen An Thy (Class 8/6, Tam Hoa Secondary School, Tam Hiep Ward) moved readers with the book Mot thoi rung Sac (A Time in the Sac Forest) by Colonel and Hero of the People's Armed Forces Le Ba Uoc. The book is an epic account of the glorious feats of the Rung Sac Commando Unit 10. Through the book, An Thy and readers gained a deeper understanding of the sacrifices made by heroes, martyrs, and humble, hardworking farmers who, with ironclad patriotism, were ready to sacrifice themselves to protect the revolution.

Meanwhile, Ha Ni (Class 12B1, Le Quy Don - Tan Mai High School, Tam Hiep Ward) brought to the contest the book Di san van hoa phi vat the vung dat Bien Hoa - Dong Nai (Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Bien Hoa - Dong Nai Region), Volume 1, along with her unique initiative, Book Journey - Tu trang sach den trai nghiem (Book Journey - From Pages to Experience).

Ha Ni said, "Books are the “key” that opens up new horizons. Coming to this contest, I not only wanted to preserve the cultural values of my homeland but also to make reading more accessible and vivid for young people. This year's Outstanding Reading Culture Ambassador Award is the motivation for me to continue nurturing my love for knowledge and to constantly learn and spread reading culture to the community.”

Spreading reading culture

Although the inspirational reading stories of Nha Phuong, An Thy, and Ha Ni differ in content, they share a common thread: the students go beyond reading and summarizing to develop critical thinking, make real-world connections, and put forward new initiatives. In particular, many students have used technology to convey humanistic messages through each work.

Director of the Dong Nai Library Ho Tien Duat said the Reading Culture Ambassador Contest, organized annually by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is a practical activity aimed at sparking interest in and passion for reading and spreading reading culture in the community, especially among the younger generation. Many entries this year were meticulously prepared, beautifully presented, and creative in both content and form. Through their written submissions, the students demonstrated a deep understanding of the works, expressed personal insights, and showed a passion for reading. Video entries were also well-prepared in terms of imagery, sound, technology skills, and presentation.

However, in light of the requirements for developing reading culture in the new era, the Organizing Committee also noted that the contest's reach across schools remains uneven. Some entries still tend to focus on merely summarizing the content without clearly expressing personal feelings or impressions. Some plans and initiatives remained too general, while video entries still had limitations in terms of technique, imagery, sound, or duration. These are issues that need to be addressed as organizers continue to renew the contest and attract more students.

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Vu Thanh Ngu, to make the contest more effective in the next edition, the Dong Nai Library is continuing to research and propose improvements to its content and organization. At the same time, the library is strengthening coordination with the education sector, local authorities, and schools to build friendly reading spaces, supplement reading resources, and organize activities to bring books closer to students. In addition, models such as mobile libraries and book rotation programs at the grassroots level will be expanded, creating more opportunities for students and residents across the city to access books, promote reading culture, and contribute to building a learning society.

By Cam Thanh – Translated by Minh Hong, Thu Ha