ALASKA ACADEMY: FIRST GRADERS VISIT THE CRADLE OF THANG LONG’S CULTURAL HERITAGE

For their first field trip of the 2025-2026 school year, the first-grade students of Alaska Academy were thrilled to visit the historical site of Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam. This landmark, with over 1,000 years of history, preserves significant architectural and cultural values.

Walking under the cool, shaded trees, the students listened attentively as their guides from Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam introduced them to:

The different structures within the complex:

Khue Van Cac, the Doctoral Stelae Garden, the Thai Hoc area, the Tien Duong House, and the Van Lake.

Three great kings who contributed significantly to education: Ly Thanh Tong, Ly Nhan Tong, and Le Thanh Tong.

The 82 doctoral stelae placed on the backs of blue stone turtles, which symbolize longevity and wisdom.

Most importantly, with the guidance of the staff, each child got to hand-print the image of Khue Van Cac (the symbol of Hanoi) using traditional methods on Dó paper.

Connecting to their local education curriculum, this trip to Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam became a meaningful lesson. It gently educated the students on the tradition of respecting teachers and valuing talent—a core value of Vietnam’s ancient education system.

We hope the stories and fascinating experiences at “Vietnam’s first university” will become a beautiful memory for each child on their journey of learning and growing together at Alaska Academy.