Vietnamese culture promoted in Brunei

A performance by staff of Vietnamese Embassy in Brunei on the occasion of national day of Vietnam. A lot of activities have been organised by the embassy to promote understanding about Vietnam among Brunei people . (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – A “Vietnam corner” was inaugurated on September 10 at the Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB)’s library in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Brunei has donated 50 English-Vietnamese bilingual books to the corner, in the hope of increasing understanding about Vietnam among Brunei people.

These books cover diverse topics including Vietnam’s culture, history, art, and literature in the past and present as well as stories about Vietnamese renowned figures including President Ho Chi Minh and General Vo Nguyen Giap.

2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Brunei, and cooperation in education and people-to-people exchanges is a bright spot in the bilateral relationship between the two countries, the Vietnamese Ambassador to Brunei, Tran Van Khoa, said at the inaugural ceremony on September 10 for the Vietnam Corner.

The Ambassador expressed his desire to further promote cooperation between the universities of the two countries and enhance the exchange of teachers and students. He also extended his appreciation to UTB for the establishment of the Vietnam Corner at its library.

For her part, UTB Vice-Chancellor Datin Paduka Professor Dr Hajah Zohrah binti Haji Sulaiman expressed her gratitude on behalf of the university to the Embassy of Vietnam in Brunei for the book donation, saying that it contributes to UTB’s efforts to develop its students into global citizens who appreciate cultural viewpoints and are sensitive to issues affecting the global community.

She said the UTB Library recently subscribed to Perlego and Ebscohost, e-book platforms to further support the needs of the UTB community, the Borneo Bulletin newspaper reported.

Perlego offers unlimited access to over 900,000 textbooks in over 950 subjects and sub-topics, including more than 1,000 titles related to Vietnam.

Book on Vietnamese rice cakes launched

A comic version of “Su tich Banh Chung, Banh Day” (The Story of the Vietnamese Rice Cakes” has been launched recently in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.

The book, which was written in English, was published in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Brunei (1992-2022).

The launch of the book is expected to deepen the understanding in terms of culture and social life between the peoples of the two countries, the Vietnamese Ambassador to Brunei said at the book launch.

It is part of the project "books on cultural stories from all over the world" which aims to introduce stories that bear the imprints of cultural traditions of countries.

The book is a collaborative work between the Vietnamese Embassy and the Reading & Literacy Association Brunei. It is written based on content that existed in Vietnamese folklore for thousands of years. Brunei artists have illustrated the story with vivid drawings, making it suitable for young readers.

A number of copies of the books will be donated to primary and secondary schools in Brunei. The goal of this project is to motivate a reading culture in schools and encourages students to learn about different cultures around the world.

In the preface of the book, Ambassador Khoa wrote: "It is believed that one of the most exciting ways to explore someone’s culture is to learn from their traditional culture. This story is a popular Vietnamese folktale about the origin of the two significant dishes from Vietnam “Banh Chung and Banh Day”. Almost every child in Vietnam has learned the story at some point in their childhood.”

“I hope that young readers in Brunei will enjoy the book as a gift introducing them to Vietnamese folk culture. Consolidating the friendly connection among younger generations will further contribute to the growth of cooperative partnership between Vietnam and Brunei”.

Dr Malai Zeiti Sheikh Abdul Hamid, co-author of “The story of the Vietnamese Rice Cakes” said Vietnam is famous for cakes made from rice. Thus, when the ambassador asked her to write this book for children of Brunei, she immediately agreed.

Malai Zeiti also said that children always want to read and learn from other cultures.

At the ceremony, the attendees, including Brunei Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Pengiran Hasnan Hassan, ambassadors from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and representatives of the diplomatic corps, enjoyed banh chung and banh day – the two cakes that Vietnamese have offered at New Year and special occasions. They symbolise the simplicity and deep appreciation of the descendants to heaven and their ancestors./