Young people find new ways to explore history

Alongside history lessons in textbooks, young people are finding more engaging and creative ways to explore Vietnam's history through films, experiential games and journeys of discovery.

Youth union members and young people of Tran Bien ward offer incense at the Bien Hoa Airport Victory Monument while taking part in the 2026 “Discover Tran Bien – Tran Bien Go” contest.

From the “Brilliant Journey”...

This year, the “Brilliant Journey,” organized by the Trang Bom ward Youth Union in coordination with the Trang Bom ward General Services Center and Trang Bom Life Skills Club, entered its fourth year. The program has become a summer event eagerly anticipated by Youth union members and young people in the ward.

Tran Thi Thanh Thanh, Chairwoman of the Trang Bom Life Skills Club, said the program's content and format are refreshed each year while maintaining its overarching focus on Vietnam's history and culture. Under the theme “History on the screen,” this year, the organizing board selected revolutionary films released in cinemas and on digital platforms to design a series of challenge stations for Youth union members and young people.

According to Thanh, the organizing board developed a dedicated website where teams could register, select their routes and access the challenge stations. Teams could book their slots through the website in a process similar to buying cinema tickets before heading to the selected stations.

This year's journey features nine stations, eight of which are experience stations built around eight revolutionary films: Red Rain, The Tunnels, The Scent of Burning Grass, Dong Loc T-Junction, August Star, The Legend Makers, The 17th Parallel: Days and Nights, and Red Dawn. At each station, teams take part in three games designed around the corresponding film.

The challenges closely recreate scenes, details and stories from the films, allowing participants to learn about historical events through hands-on activities. The ninth station is a knowledge-based challenge, where teams answer multiple-choice questions about the content, characters and historical stories featured in the eight films. This also gives participants who have not watched all the films an opportunity to learn about and remember important historical knowledge.

Vo Anh Thu, a former student of Thong Nhat A High School who had followed the “Brilliant Journey” for years, joined the program for the first time this year. Thu said watching revolutionary films had helped her gain a deeper understanding of the hardships and sacrifices endured by previous generations in their struggle for national independence and freedom. Young people today need to better understand and cherish history and help promote the nation's historical values to a wider audience.

Youth Union members and young people of Trang Bom ward take part in challenges at the 2026 “Brilliant Journey”. Photo: Nga Son

...to the “Discover Tran Bien” contest

While Youth Union members and young people in Trang Bom ward explored revolutionary films through the “Brilliant Journey,” more than 200 Youth Union members and young people from Tran Bien ward and the Youth Union chapter of Regiment 935 took part in the 2026 “Discover Tran Bien – Tran Bien Go” contest under the theme “Heritage Discovery Journey – Connecting Youth – Conquering Challenges.”

For the first time, Do Nguyen Hoang Duong, a former student of Lac Hong Bilingual School, took part in the contest, hoping to gain a deeper understanding of the place where he lives. Duong described the event as a meaningful activity that gives Youth Union members and young people an opportunity to learn more about local history while fostering gratitude to previous generations who sacrificed their lives for the country's independence and freedom.

“Although I was born and raised in Tran Bien and had heard about many of the historical sites here, it was not until I registered for the contest that I found the motivation to learn more about them,” he said.

Bui Thi Khanh Linh, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Tran Bien ward and Secretary of the ward's Youth Union, said the contest was organized as an experiential journey involving 10 teams. The teams competed at five challenge stations located at sites associated with the history and culture of Tran Bien, including Bien Hung Park, the Bien Hoa Citadel relic complex, the Bien Hoa Airport Victory Monument, the Memorial Park and the tomb of Trinh Hoai Duc.

 

Chairwoman of the Trang Bom Life Skills Club Tran Thi Thanh Thanh

At each station, teams must overcome a series of challenges requiring knowledge, observation skills, critical thinking, speed and teamwork. Activities range from exploring history and culture, decoding secret messages and tracking down information to physical challenges and situational problem-solving.

The program also makes extensive use of digital technology through the Tran Bien Go platform, QR codes and digital maps, enabling participants to search for data and information about historical and cultural sites, navigate between destinations and complete tasks assigned by the organizing board.

“More than just a contest, ‘Discover Tran Bien – Tran Bien Go’ gives young people an opportunity to learn more about the place where they live. It helps foster their love for homeland, pride in historical traditions and a sense of responsibility for preserving and promoting heritage values,” Khanh Linh said.

By N. Son – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha