Studying myths to better understand Vietnamese society

Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh (Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) gave the opening speech at the introduction of the book "Vietnam: Myth and Reality"

These are some of the key contents written in the book “Vietnam: Myth and Reality” published by a group of German and Vietnamese researchers in 2018 in Germany, sponsored by the Konrad Adenauer Institute (Germany) and were also the topics discussed at the book introduction at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi on March 21.

The book launch was attended by German and Vietnamese scholars and representatives of several foreign embassies.

Myths are stories, legends, which can contain both truth and imagination, fiction about a society. Analyzing, decoding, and having a multi-dimensional view of myths will help us better understand how symbols, stories, and social phenomena have influenced and impacted social life and each individual.

Mr. Peter Girke - Director of Konrad Adenauer Institute (Germany) in Vietnam stated at the book launch

Under that analytical framework, Dr. Bui Hai Thiem (Institute of Legislative Studies, National Assembly) discussed myths, misconceptions and truths surrounding social networks in Vietnam.

Dr. Jorg Wischermann introduced the book "Vietnam: Myth and Reality". His presentation was on the topic "What are political myths and what can we learn from studying them in Vietnam and Germany"

Currently, social networks have become an indispensable part of modern life in Vietnam, with about 50 million Facebook users, not to mention other social networks, bringing about an explosion of information, with a number of readers that almost no mainstream newspaper has achieved, even having a huge impact on traditional press. With that power, in the early days of being put into use, social networks were considered "an equal space for individuals to express their thoughts and opinions". "But in reality, it can be a hostile land, bringing bad things, fake news, false news; social networks also have the function of creating social consensus, monitoring, tracking and can be exploited by political factions, different economic forces"..., said Dr. Bui Hai Thiem.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Engelberg (University of Humburg, Germany)

The expectations and illusions about the power and equality of social networks in the early days were just a “contemporary myth”. But the myth and reality of social networks are intertwined, making it difficult for users to distinguish between what is real and what is fake. Therefore, Dr. Bui Hai Thiem drew some “decoding” conclusions: social networks create information and socio-political capital or destroy the socio-political capital that some people once had; it also helps to reveal and identify, and bring out the gaps and cracks of issues from history to economics and society; it is the battlefield for economic and political wars, the emergence of different interest groups. Understanding the information trends, the virtuality and reality of social networks will help social network users have the tools to understand the “virtuality” and “reality” of social networks, thereby being more alert to different information flows.

Dr. Bui Hai Thiem presented a talk on the topic "Political Myths on Social Media as Free Cyberspace and Free Expression Online in Vietnam"

Long-lasting, familiar, and popular cultural symbols can also be created and cultivated with different expectations and purposes through historical periods, of which the Hung King symbol is one of the typical examples, according to researcher Vu Duc Liem, Hanoi Pedagogical University.

Dr. Vu Duc Liem presented the topic "The legendary past and the political story behind national identity in contemporary Vietnam"

In recent years, the Hung Temple festival has welcomed millions of pilgrims (in 2017, it welcomed 8 million, of which 1 million people were on the festival day of March 10 alone, according to Nhan Dan newspaper).¹) and is the largest pilgrimage in modern Vietnamese history. But that is not a historical fact, but a result of the construction process. From the 14th-15th century, the first handwritten text about the genealogy of 18 Hung Kings over 2,500 years became the first historical material, so that later the surrounding legend was embroidered and continued to be imagined.

Prof. Nguyen Huy Quy

In the modern era, in the 1960s and 1970s, Vietnamese historians have continuously produced new knowledge about the Hung King period. In the current new context, with changes in religious policies in Vietnam, in the trend of promoting traditional cultural values ​​of the Vietnamese people, the influence of the Hung King legend has become increasingly stronger. With the Hung King worship recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage, with a series of efforts from the central to local authorities, the Hung King festival has been administrativeized, nationalized and has a scope of influence not only on a single ethnic group (Kinh people) but also on different ethnic groups. It can be said that the consolidation of the Hung King symbol is a manifestation of "re-establishing a new identity for Vietnamese culture", said researcher Vu Duc Liem.

Dr. Gerhard Will, Southeast Asia Research Specialist of SWP (German Science and Political Foundation)

Discussing with researcher Vu Duc Liem, Dr. Pham Van Thuy (Faculty of History, Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities) said that the image of King Hung needs to be associated with a broader context, which is the building and strengthening of the unity of a nation, and recently, the proliferation of promotion about King Hung is also related to the explosive economic development and the proliferation of religious and belief activities.

Dr. Pham Van Thuy (Faculty of History, University of Social Sciences and Humanities)

Affirming that the construction of myths such as the founding myth and the myth of mankind is a common phenomenon in world history, Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh (Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi) commented that the discussions raised in the book are very new and necessary - to understand more about history as well as many phenomena in modern society that we have not yet been able to explain. He also noted that these discussions are "instrumental" - providing different ways of interpreting history rather than affirming and searching for a truth, a history.

Dr. Do Thuy Lan (Faculty of History, University of Social Sciences and Humanities)

Note:

¹ http://nhandan.com.vn/hangthang/item/32743402-gio-to-hung-vuong-nam-2017-don-gan-tam-trieu-luot-du-khach.html