"Promoting the cultural and historical heritage of Thang Long" is one of the new volunteer activities in the 2012 summer volunteer campaign of Hanoi's youth and students. The volunteer team from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities promoting the cultural and historical heritage of Thang Long has over 80 members from the faculties of Linguistics, Tourism Studies, Oriental Studies, and International Studies, divided into 6 volunteer teams at tourist destinations in and around Hanoi, including the Temple of Literature, Ngoc Son Temple, Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Co Loa historical site in Dong Anh, Soc Son Temple historical site, and the temple of Empress Y Lan in Gia Lam.After more than a week of launching the 2012 summer volunteer campaign, the Thang Long cultural promotion volunteer teams have settled into their routines and quickly begun their work.
Volunteer Team at the Temple of Empress Y Lan, Gia LamWith a team of 10 people, the Tourism Faculty's volunteer team had a productive week of volunteering at the Hoang Thai Hau Y Lan Temple in Duong Xa, Gia Lam, Hanoi. On July 15th, after attending the 2012 summer volunteer launch ceremony, the team members set off, planning their tour guide activities on the bus. Unfamiliar with the new environment, new people, and the difficulties of daily life did not discourage them. The team arranged their own accommodation, found suitable tasks, and found ways to volunteer as tour guides for visitors to the temple. Initially, because the temple was under renovation, there were no facilities for essential activities, and the temple caretakers were unhappy with the large number of people; the bathing and living areas for the team were also not private. However, through meetings with local officials and conversations with elderly women who look after and clean the temples, the students gained a deeper understanding of the area they were operating in. On July 20th, the team's information desk officially opened. The team's work of promoting the cultural and historical heritage of Thang Long at the Nguyen Phi Y Lan temple gradually became a regular practice and a habit for each member.
Volunteer team at Thang Long Imperial CitadelThe Thang Long Imperial Citadel is a complex of historical relics closely associated with the founding of the Thang Long capital city of Hanoi. Therefore, promoting Thang Long culture at this site is of immense significance. Recognizing this, all volunteers have equipped themselves with a certain level of historical knowledge to effectively introduce and promote Thang Long culture to domestic and international tourists.
Volunteer activities by Hanoi's youth and students at Thang Long Imperial Citadel began on the afternoon of July 15, 2012. This was a new volunteer activity, so the first week presented many difficulties for the volunteers. In the early days, facilities were limited; there were no tables or chairs, so volunteers had to sit at the security guard's desk, and morning and evening meetings took place on the ground. In the beginning, unfamiliarity with the surrounding area made it difficult for the team to find a place to eat lunch. Trying their hand at being tour guides for the first time, the volunteers were quite confused in communicating with tourists and persuading them to let them be free guides. Furthermore, their communication skills with foreign visitors were still limited, and conveying cultural and historical knowledge of the Imperial Citadel in foreign languages proved challenging. In the early days, most foreign tourists were Japanese, and the number of volunteers who could communicate in Japanese was quite small. As a result, there were often too many volunteers, yet foreign tourists still didn't receive proper guidance. However, with the help of the management and the volunteers' willingness to overcome difficulties, these challenges were partially overcome. Consequently, in the first week, the team successfully guided 100 domestic and international tourists.
Volunteer team at Co Loa historical site, Dong AnhStarting with a team of 10 people from the Faculty of Tourism Studies, the volunteer team at the Co Loa historical site quickly settled into their accommodations and began their work. Due to changes in the initial plan, assigning tasks was somewhat challenging; however, all team members were self-aware of their responsibilities and adapted quickly to their new roles. Furthermore, the Co Loa commune youth union provided assistance and created the most favorable conditions for the volunteers.
The team's initial work in Co Loa involved removing illegally placed advertisements and flyers. In the evenings, the team participated with the commune's youth union in organizing summer activities for children. The team members' activities quickly became well-organized, and the support team operated relatively effectively, promising a volunteer season full of joy and youthful enthusiasm.
