The first “Petit Tour” of the La Route des Découvertes club accompanied by Horizon Vietnam Travel

On October 26th, the Francophone travel club La Route des Découvertes (University of Foreign Languages ​​- VNU Hanoi) set off together to two places famous for every visitor to the capital: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám). The club was accompanied by three very friendly French “guests” – Adrien, Tea and Katherine – as well as Ms. Hong, a professional tour guide from Horizon Vietnam Travel. The members were excited to act as tour guides for a day and talk to French guests.

The first Petit Tour of the club La Route des Découvertes

At the beginning, Le Duc Trung, the club president, introduced the guests of the day and explained the process of the first tour. On the way, Luc Thi My Hanh introduced the streets traveled through, such as Hoang Quoc Viet Street and Hoang Hoa Tham Street, which is lined with ornamental plants. The club included students from the second, third and fourth years, but especially freshmen, who, despite their limited knowledge of French, dared to say simple greetings and give their presentations in Vietnamese, while older members translated into French.

At 8:30 a.m. the club reached the mausoleum. For some freshmen it was their first time; Standing in line together and listening to the songs about Uncle Ho moved everyone. Tran Thi Thu and Pham Thi Cham introduced the Mausoleum and Ba Dinh Square; Tour guide Hong added President Ho Chi Minh’s biography and life and introduced the presidential palace and the house where he lived for four years. Further stations – the fish pond, the stilt house and the one-pillar pagoda – were presented by Do Huong Giang, Nguyen Thu Hang and Pham Thi Lan Phuong.

From the mausoleum we continued to the Temple of Literature, where Dao Tuan, Vu Hoang Nam and Vu Minh Phuong painted a vivid picture of the complex – from the Khue Van Pavilion to the doctor’s steles. Inside, at the Dai Thanh Gate and the Khai Thanh Sanctuary, guests and members enjoyed traditional music with ancient instruments.

At the end, everyone enjoyed a “Bun cha” meal together with Adrien, Tea and Katherine, talked about their experiences and then returned to the university. Le Duc Trung summarized the first tour and warmly thanked the special guests and tour guide Hong. It was a valuable opportunity for the club members to learn a lot about the job of a tour guide.