Singapore (VNA) – Ngo Phuong Ly, spouse of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam, on May 30 visited the Lac Hong Vietnamese language class within the framework of the top leader’s state visit to Singapore.
The class was recently established and currently has a modest enrolment, consisting mainly of children with one foreign parent, according to Tran Thanh Phuong Nghi, spouse of the Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore.
She said the class aims to provide a space for cultural exchange, preserve Vietnamese heritage and promote the teaching and learning of the Vietnamese language within the community. It is currently taught by volunteer community teachers on a rotating basis.
There are currently about 34,000 Vietnamese living, working and studying in Singapore, most of whom are professionals and young people. With the majority maintaining close family ties in Vietnam, demand has been rising for their children to preserve the Vietnamese language and cultural heritage, helping sustain connections with their families and homeland.
Ly described the class as a small home filled with love for the Vietnamese language and the homeland. She commended the dedication of the teachers and expressed hope that parents would continue to support efforts to preserve the mother tongue for their children.
On the occasion, she presented the class with a bookcase containing 100 Vietnamese and bilingual books on culture, history and Vietnamese-language learning.
Later the same day, Ly and Loo Tze Lui, spouse of Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, visited Temasek Shophouse - social impact hub of Singapore.
Earlier, on the afternoon of May 29, Ly met with Jane Ittogi, spouse of Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, at the Peranakan Museum, one of Singapore’s most distinctive cultural spaces.
The meeting not only offered warm and intimate exchanges between the two First Ladies, along with sincere discussions on art and heritage, but also opened up ideas for strengthening cultural exchanges and people-to-people connectivity, thereby further deepening the friendship between the two countries.
Impressed by the way Peranakan art and culture are preserved through vivid artifacts at the museum, Ly shared that art is not only a means of preserving historical memory but also a source of inspiration that nurtures identity and connects people across generations.
Affirming that culture has always been a strong bridge between nations and peoples, she noted that although Vietnam and Singapore have their own distinct identities, they share many fine Asian values such as love for family, a love for learning, diligence, and a strong sense of community. These shared values have contributed to fostering the growing friendship and close bonds between the people of the two countries.
Jane Ittogi, who has a close connection with the Peranakan community, expressed her strong admiration for Vietnamese fine arts. Many works by renowned Vietnamese painters such as Bui Xuan Phai, Le Pho, and other contemporary artists are highly appreciated in Singapore for their artistic value, as well as the depth of culture and history of Vietnam reflected in each painting.
Referring to Bui Xuan Phai’s works depicting Cheo (traditional opera), she expressed her hope that this distinctive Vietnamese art form would soon be introduced in Singapore.
The spouse of Vietnam’s top leader expressed her hope that in the coming time, the two countries will further promote cultural exchanges, not only Cheo but also other Vietnamese cultural forms, through activities such as art exhibitions by Vietnamese artists in Singapore and vice versa./.
