THANH DO UNIVERSITY: PRESERVING SPIRITUAL AND CULTURAL VALUES IN A MODERN EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Respecting religious beliefs and preserving traditional cultural identity have always been core values in fostering a humanistic educational environment at Thanh Do University. Alongside fostering knowledge, skills, and ethics, the University also values the spiritual well-being and legitimate religious needs of its staff, faculty, and students.

To facilitate the activities of commemoration, gratitude, traditional ceremonies and spiritual rituals within the permitted framework, Thanh Do University has fully prepared equipment and items for religious activities with solemnity and proper rituals. The list of equipment is built in accordance with Vietnamese cultural customs, ensuring harmony between spiritual space and modern school life.

Specifically, the list of equipment serving religious activities includes essential items, namely:

• Án Gian serves as the central altar in the worship space..
• Bronze incense burner sets (ngũ sự), incense bowls, and offering jars are sacred items symbolizing spiritual reverence and connection with the ancestors.
• Vases, worship lamps, fruit trays, wine trays, and ritual bowls and chopsticks are used in traditional rites such as incense offerings, flower offerings, and ceremonial food offerings.
• Additional items such as tea sets, wine jars, ceremonial cups, and tea bowls (bát trà sâm) are all carefully selected for their design and materials, reflecting a sense of reverence and solemnity in the worship space.

The arrangement of space and equipment for spiritual ceremonies not only meets the religious needs of the staff and students but also contributes to nurturing gratitude, preserving the tradition of honoring one’s roots, and instilling moral values and character in the younger generation. This is a cultural beauty that Thanh Do University always focuses on preserving and promoting in the journey of building a comprehensive, humanistic and liberal educational environment.