Vietnamese, New Zealand Prime Minister visit Temple of Literature
VGP - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon on Thursday visited the Temple of Literature in Ha Noi.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon visit the Temple of Literature, Ha Noi, February 27, 2025 - Photo: VGP
Prime Minister Luxon is on an official visit to Viet Nam from February 25-28 at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh.
At the Temple of Literature, Pham introduced Luxon the history of Viet Nam's first university, which was built nearly 1,000 years ago (in 1070).
Pham noted that among the scholars trained and honored at the Temple of Literature, many came from noble families, but a significant number of them came from humble, and impoverished backgrounds. This underscores the importance and significance of providing equal access to education for everyone.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) introduces trau tem canh phuong (betel leaves arranged in the shape of a phoenix’s wing) to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon as a special treat for honored guests, Ha Noi, February 27, 2025 - Photo: VGP
The two Prime Ministers enjoyed a calligraphy art showcase and a traditional Vietnamese music performance, featuring Quan Ho folk singing and instrumental performances on traditional instruments such as the dan bau (monochord).
The Prime Minister of New Zealand experiences playing traditional Vietnamese musical instruments, Ha Noi, February 27, 2025 - Photo: VGP
The Prime Minister of New Zealand expressed his admiration for Viet Nam's rich cultural heritage, education system, and tradition of learning.
He highlighted that the Temple of Literature as Viet Nam's the remarkable symbol of learning and academic excellence and it shows the Southeast Asian nation's outstanding cultural values.
The two Prime Ministers enjoy a calligraphy art showcase at the Temple of Literature, Ha Noi, February 27, 2025 - Photo: VGP
According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more than 600 Vietnamese officials have received professional training in New Zealand since 1992. Additionally, the New Zealand government has awarded over 600 scholarships for Vietnamese students at the high school, master's, and doctoral levels.
Educational cooperation is also one of the three main pillars of the Viet Nam-New Zealand strategic partnership action plan for 2021-2024.
The two countries signed the Viet Nam-New Zealand Strategic Education Cooperation Plan for 2023-2026 period and an education cooperation agreement between Viet Nam's Ministry of Education and Training and New Zealand's Ministry of Education inked in November 2022./.
